As part of its ongoing commitment to reduce public spending, Croydon's Conservative council has proposed an unprecedented joint approach to making Upper Norwood’s library more efficient.
The council has asked neighbouring Lambeth - which co-funds the library as part of a unique contract between the two boroughs - to work with Croydon to bring costs down at the library.
Sitting on the border of Croydon and Lambeth, Upper Norwood is the only library in the UK which is not under council ownership - instead being run by a completely independent committee, which is funded jointly between the two councils.
Although the library provides the same services as a council-owned facility, it costs almost £100,000 a year more to operate than the average library, with the £400,000 running cost being split between the two councils.
Costs have also increased by around £10,000 for each of the last three years, while other library costs have remained static.
The saving would be equivalent to extending opening hours at all libraries in Croydon, or increasing the borough’s stock of books by 25%.
To ensure taxpayers’ interests are maximised, Croydon has approached Lambeth to seek a cross-political approach to bringing costs into line with other libraries in the area.
This could involve putting the library under the control of one of the two councils, with both contributing the standard amount of funding required to run a branch library..
Councillor Sara Bashford, cabinet member for culture and sport at Croydon, said: “Firstly, we are absolutely clear that Upper Norwood library is an asset to local people and we want it to stay that way. That’s our aim.
“However with every council currently looking at the way it spends money, we can’t ignore the fact that, over the next five years, the current arrangement will cost taxpayers almost £500,000 more than we spend on any other library.
“What we are asking for is a joint approach between the two councils which puts aside party politics and keeps the library flourishing - but brings costs into line with every other library locally, genuinely putting taxpayers first.
“We know both authorities can operate successful libraries on a lower budget without any damaging effect on what’s provided - so it would be negligent not to consider the issue as we look to get the best value for residents out of every pound.
“We know that public services are facing unprecedented financial pressures. Therefore it’s absolutely logical that councils and political groups work together to ensure taxpayers get the best value for money. We believe, based on 15 other libraries we run, that local residents can get the same service for less money. That is what we are all paid to do, regardless of political persuasion.”
The average cost of running a branch library in Croydon is just over £300,000 - around £100,000 less per year than the cost of Upper Norwood.
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