Lib Dem councillor Martin Newton has expressed his concern with the reporton library strategy, due to go before the Executive tonight (14th June).

Cllr Newton, who sits on Haringey Council’s Library Advisory Committee, says thata key concern regarding how funding is to be given to two separate librariesfor expansion – Muswell Hill and Coombs Croft- had been raised andminuted, but in the final report it has been omitted.

At the meeting of the Library Advisory Committee, members requested, “thatfeasibility studies for improvements at Muswell Hill and Coombs Croftlibraries should go ahead without conditions so that all options areinvestigated.”

This was in response to the initial recommendations in the report that setout the conditions to make improvements on the libraries. Muswell Hill’simprovements were to be self-financed from the value of land to the rear.Lib Dem councillors said that this would be ridiculous given that many ofthe plans included expanding onto the land which would leave very little tosell-off.

However, for Coombs Croft Library the primaryrecommendation to the committee was to identify capital funds for theimprovements, with no mention of the library funding itself.

Cllr Newton has written to Haringey Council expressing his concern at the finalreport that, he says, does not reflect the points made and minuted at themeeting.

Cllr Newton (Fortis Green):

“I am appalled that decisions agreed by membersof the Library Advisory Committee are being ignored and find it whollyunacceptable that the Executive will be voting on recommendations that havenot been endorsed.

“The value of the Council owned land behind Muswell Hill library, needed toexpand the library, should not be the primary consideration of anyfeasibility study.”