Labour Councillors Bid To Save Libraries Rejected By HRA.

News from Havering Labour following last night’s full council meeting at the Town Hall.

Havering Council was able to pass a balanced budget after the Labour Government agreed to a ‘capitalisation order’, effectively a line of credit extended by the government.

The government had also increased the amount it gave Havering for this budget.

This follows the announcement that the government is reforming the rules around funding for councils, which should kick in next financial year and provide more realistic funding for Havering.

Despite this, the administration of the Council refused to accept a proposal by the Labour councillors to keep South Hornchurch and Harold Wood Libraries open, at no additional cost to the council.

Labour Group Leader, Keith Darvill, was unsurprised that the so-called Residents Association had gone ahead with their planned closures, “despite cross party support which backed the Labour Party’s desire to keep a library open in one of the areas with the lowest educational attainment rates, the HRA Mayor used his casting vote to close the libraries. It’s a shame that they will be back out looking for votes in the shadow of closed libraries next year”.

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