Library Closure Breach of Human Rights Say Campaigners

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Final bid being made to save Save Wood End Library and Children's Centre

The Save Wood End Library and Children’s Centre campaign has stepped up its activities in a final bid to save the Greenford facility.

Campaigners claim closing the library could be a breach of articles of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in an area of London where 27% of the children live in poverty according to a report by the Child Poverty Action Group from 2018.

The group has also accused Ealing Council of breaking promises on equality included in their own manifesto to ‘always put the most vulnerable in society first'.

They point out that just nine years ago when the centre had undergone a major refurbishment costing £870,000, the council leader Julian Bell described it as a ‘valuable community resource’.

Located on Whitton Avenue West, it is currently going through a consultation process about the closure that is due to end in late August, with no exact date given despite campaign leaders saying they have requested this information from the Council and Cllr Bell.

Eleven new flats are due to be built on the site, but while the current Wood End Library and Children’s Centre covers an area of 295 square metres, the current proposal only retains 52 square metres for ‘a community facility.’

Although this community space is part of the plan, no details on the space to be allocated to the new smaller facility has been included in floor plan given with consultation documentation.

Ealing Council decided to remove paid staff from five of the borough’s 13 libraries in July last year following a public consultation. Six libraries are to remain under council management. Greenford and Wood End libraries were to move to being supported by the local communities, meaning that there will still be council staff at the libraries, with local volunteers helping with some running of services.

Campaign organiser Alison Jermak said, “Closing Wood End Library and Children’s Centre comes at a time when provision for education is being attacked from all sides, and it is likely to wreak long-term damage on those who most need the help and services a library provides.”

James McCormack, who is the Head Teacher of Oldfield Primary School that lies a mile and a half from the library, commented, “The government has prioritised reading as the means to raise the achievement of all children,”

“Therefore, the proposed reduction of library facilities would be at odds with the work we are doing in schools to develop a culture of reading.

“Every child needs access to a local library for books, computers, and a safe learning space.”

His sentiments are shared by Karen Silvester, Head Teacher of Greenwood Primary School which sits adjacent to Wood End Library.

“While I understand the need for further affordable housing in the area, I was disappointed to see that the Wood End library space will be dramatically reduced,” she said.

“As a school we have always utilised Wood End Library as it is a fantastic resource for our children and a hub for the local community. Public space is limited in the area and we really should be enhancing this type of local provision.”

Their views are echoed by those who work in the community, including Helen Hankins leader of the Second Northolt (Wood End) Scout Group.

“The library has always been a key focal point in the community and the Second Northolt (Wood End) Scout Group has used this facility for visits by the Beavers and Cub Scouts to work towards their Book Readers badge,” she said.

“It is so important that we retain this facility not just for the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in the area but for the whole community.”

The consultation period is due to end soon, but campaigners claim that the fact there is no definitive date given and that the consultation is being conducted during a period when schools are closed is a way of sneaking through approval.

Nicola Inson, one of the organisers of the Save Wood End Library and Children’s Centre said, “the fact that Ealing Council are neglecting to announce an exact date when the consultation period ends shows their lack of both transparency andAugust 26, 2020hey are running it at a time when schools are shut and many people away, and that they are throwing away nearly a million pounds of public money after less than a decade shows that they have failed to understand how much people value this local library. “

A council spokesperson pointed out that the library is not closing but moving to Wood End Primary School and added, “We continue to work with our local communities to secure the long-term future of libraries in the borough at against the backdrop of severe government cuts. We have already secured the futures of five branch libraries which will now be managed by local community organisations, ensuring we retain one of the most comprehensive networks of libraries in the capital.

“We are working hard to find a way to secure the long-term future of Wood End through a similar community organisation and this process is ongoing.”

For further information about the campaign contact: savewoodendlibrary@outlook.com.

Residents who would like to support their local libraries can contact the council by emailing libraryvolunteer@ealing.gov.uk.

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August 24, 2020