Julia Lopez, the MP for the Harold Wood community, has labelled the decision to close Harold Wood library “short-sighted”.
Following the Council’s announcement that Harold Wood library will close at the end of March, Mrs Lopez has set out her continued opposition to the loss of this important community asset and pushed the Council for more answers about the potential redevelopment of the site.
The Hornchurch & Upminster MP has criticised the decision claiming the savings it would deliver are “insignificant” compared to the huge loss to the community.
Last year when the potential closures were first announced, Mrs Lopez asked whether the Council had plans to sell the site and if library services might be retained in any redevelopment. However, Havering Council replied in July that they had made no assessment of the redevelopment opportunities at any of the sites. Copies of these exchanges can be accessed here and here.
Mrs Lopez has described the fact that the Council now felt able to put out a public statement on the Library being included in future development works as being “surprising”, given the plans were seemingly not even considered in July.
In her letter, Mrs Lopez presses Cllr Morgon on:
How much of the £288k saved will come from the Harold Wood library closure specifically.
What the Council is planning to do with the Harold Wood Library site.
“I expect the real opportunity here from their perspective” Mrs Lopez said, “is not the £288k saving but the sale or redevelopment of the library sites. So I think it is only right that the Council is transparent about what they want to do with those sites and what scope there is to build new library facilities and public space, either on the existing footprint or by recycling money from any sales into new or improved public buildings.”
Mrs Lopez has offered to continue supporting the Council in an effort to stabilise their finances, as well as supporting them in their efforts to complete any regeneration work in Harold Wood which would save the library.
