Three libraries up for closure due to financial crisis
Havering Council has been forced into making the difficult recommendation of closing three libraries due to the ongoing financial challenges facing the borough.
The decision to close Harold Wood, South Hornchurch and Gidea Park libraries, will go before the Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 5 February 2025, and be subject to review at Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday 3 February 2025.
The cost saving measure follows last year’s 12 week public consultation, which originally proposed closing four libraries, but following consideration of the public responses and the community impact, three branch libraries are now being recommended for closure.
The closure of the three library sites on 31 March 2025 is expected to save £288,000 annually, which is crucial for the Council to meet its wider legal responsibilities and ever increasing social care and homelessness demands.
The three libraries subject to closure represent the lowest footfall of all ten borough libraries, have alternative branches in close proximity to them, and each require significant financial investment in their buildings in order to continue to deliver a service – which the borough cannot afford.
Harold Wood Library would close, but with the hope of reopening in a new building as part of future regeneration opportunities. The libraries consultation and corresponding public meetings provided valuable resident feedback via 4,613 responses, 1,214 of which were from primary and secondary school aged children.
The consultation also explored views on a purpose-designed Children’s Library as part of the longer term libraries strategy, this will not progress at this time as the majority of respondents expressed they would prefer to see investment in their local libraries’ existing children’s and younger peoples sections.
Despite the proposed reduction in library services, the Council is still providing a comprehensive and accessible library service that will account for over 80 percent of all visits and books issued through the remaining seven branches, the Home Library service, the local studies library, and the digital online library.
In the areas subject to library closures, discussions between the Council and local community groups are taking place to offer some alternative services such as book swaps and study areas within neighbouring community venues.
These would need to be financially viable and would not replace a statutory library service in those areas, but could help provide access to some library features.
Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council, said: “This is an incredibly tough decision for us to make. It has been forced on us by year on year cuts in Government funding and increasing pressures and costs from social care and homelessness.
“We also need to ensure that we can continue to provide other essential statutory services to our residents.
“We acknowledge the community impact of any library closures, this has been reflected in recommending three sites to close rather than the previously proposed four, but we are sadly left with no easy choices.
“Due to the temporary staff arrangements in place, the closure of these libraries will thankfully not result in any permanent staff redundancies.
“A smaller number of libraries means we can maintain a comprehensive library service as we look at alternative funding options with the very limited money we have.
“We are continuing to explore the possibility of an enhanced community offer in South Hornchurch to support potential volunteer led book swaps, study spaces and other services offered within the current library.
“However, any community alternatives will not be financially comprehensive enough to cover the savings required at the sites where closures areproposed, so if community groups receive successful funding, these services would need to take place at other sites.
“In addition, other discussions and works are ongoing to look at a future library service in Harold Wood as part of future regeneration plans, subject to any proposals being financially viable.
“Following the library consultation, we wrote to the Government’s Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, despite receiving a response, they could not provide any commitment to providing funding that could prevent library closures.
“We will continue to lobby the Government for a fairer funding deal which accurately reflects the changing population and needs in Havering.
“I urge residents to help us demand change by signing our online petition.”
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My four children relied on libraries a source of ideas and information throughout their formal education. Each would read several books in a weekend and more during holidays. Their examination results were excellent but, more importantly, their horizons were widened as a direct result of the opportunities to read a wide range of books from the local libraries. How can anyone justify spending money on the creation of ever more bumps in our roads and marking cycle lanes, for example, over education which is all important when addressing homelessness and the like in the longer term. I believe priorities should be reviewed and decisions made for the long term benefit of the people who live in Havering. Books are precious. The classics have lasted a lot longer than the internet! Education is of paramount importance for our future and any decision made which is detrimental to reading books is a poor one.