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Thursday 14 August 2008

Delays for a library in Seven Kings

Today's Ilford Recorder reports that Redbridge Council has delayed its report into the possibility of a static library for Seven Kings. This comes as a result of renewed lobbying by TASK members highlighting the limited range of options the report appeared to be considering.

At the beginning of the week I sent the following letter to the editor of the Ilford Recorder:

"As part of discussions with Council officials over the possibility of a static library for Seven Kings, I have suggested that there are several community buildings in the area that could be considered for the siting of a library. These include schools and faith buildings including St John’s Seven Kings.

To date, the Council has not shown any interest in this suggestion and I am not, therefore, in discussions with them about it. I would be very happy to begin discussions however.

The Council’s unwillingness to explore the possibility of working with community organisations to identify both possible locations and possible sources of funds for a library seem symptomatic of the Council’s refusal to engage in a meaningful partnership with the community that it seeks to serve.

The Redbridge Conversation is a prime example. Hyped as the way forward for community consultation by Councils, the Redbridge Conversation was actually primarily concerned with the Council’s own agenda and the Council’s options for funding that agenda. As a result, the priorities of the local community, like a static library for Seven Kings for example, didn’t feature and neither did the option of working with community organisations to draw new funding into the borough.

This is because the Council is, at present, not appearing to seek genuine consultation and partnership from and with the local community. If it were, it would be open to changing its agenda and exploring alternative and more creative ways of funding initiatives. Instead it is seeking endorsement of its fixed agenda which, as we know from the protests over the possibility of allotment sales and other local issues, does not have the support of the local community.

As a result, I appeal to the Cabinet, in considering the issue of a static library for Seven Kings and other issues within the borough, to begin engaging in genuine consultation and partnership with the local community and community organisations."

This letter has been used to create a second article about the Library on the 'Faiths Page' of this weeks edition.

For me, this report and the Council's response to TASK's request seem to be a test case of the Council's willingness or otherwise to genuinely engage in consultation and partnership with the local community and its community organisations and to do so not solely on its own terms but by actively responding to the concerns and issues of the community it seeks to serve.

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Lou Reed & John Cale - Open House.

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