Libraries Shut When Councillors Don’t Turn Up…..

Mark Whiley Green Party Co-ordinator today writes:

Seven councillor absences shut our libraries for good – a motion to save South Hornchurch and Harold Wood libraries was defeated by the casting vote of the Mayor. Emergencies aside, councillors need to turn up, says Mark Whiley, Coordinator of Barking, Dagenham and Havering Green Party.

It’s been several weeks since the closure of our libraries in Gidea Park, Harold Wood and South Hornchurch. I know how devastating the loss has been for those that worked there, and attended regular groups like the Baby Bounce, and of all the energy we put into fighting the closures despite the will and excuses of the Havering Residents Association.

I know that councillors from the other opposition parties were sincere and fought hard against closures too. I’ve heard from Cllr. Judith Holt on two occasions at the Rallies we both attended, and saw her genuinely felt piece in the Havering Daily some weeks ago. Cllr. Jane Keane was journeying around the borough in defence of our library service. The Harold Wood councillors were deeply involved in the fight to save their library.

One additional vote from Labour or the Conservatives could have saved libraries

But at a crucial vote, where three motions were brought to the Council to reverse library cuts, there were six opposition absences: four from the Conservatives and two from Labour. Labour’s motion, while not seeking to keep Gidea Park as a library, was only one vote from reversing cuts to both Harold Wood and South Hornchurch. Libraries closed because the HRA Mayor was forced to break a tie, voting to keep the cuts.

If this were a single occasion, perhaps because of an emergency, I would not be asking questions and would be more understanding.

Poor attendance, however, is not a one-off in Havering.

15 councillors have missed 3 or more meetings between Oct 2024 and March 2025

There are genuine reasons why councillors have missed meetings, for example, I was relieved to see Cllr. Michael White return to good health and to the council chamber earlier this year. I do not want to see councillors pilloried for serious health or life complications.

But if you’re elected to represent the people of your ward, and the wider borough, I expect you to make a contribution when public services are at risk. That involves turning up, and it also involves making suggestions, rather than staying quiet.

How often does my councillor attend meetings?

You can see my six month export between October 2024 and March 2025 with the differences in expected and attended meetings shown by percentage or number at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQgQ5IIKxAio4w3mbJgOTl1Ts8VNmlK6poDQEjR1Yi3kNhKh7OaVK62A0M7tVr2p5PmnBzN2gY8EeBo/pubhtml. You can also search the stats yourself at www.democracy.havering.gov.uk/mguserattendancesummary.aspx.

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