Trade unionists and library campaigners rallied on the steps of Lambeth town hall in Brixton today (24 February) as the council’s cabinet met inside to discuss budget reductions, including a major cut in funding for libraries.
Friends of Lambeth Libraries said the cut was £1m from a current annual budget of £4.7m, adding: “Amazingly. this budget itself has barely changed in cash terms from the £4.2m allocated over 40 years ago. Imagine what 40 years of inflation has done to that sum.”
The cash crisis the council faces has been brought about, in part, by years of austerity involving large reductions in central government funding and a massive increase in its costs for helping homeless people.
Large areas of its work must, by law, be funded to defined levels, leaving cuts to fall on areas, like libraries, with less clear cut statutory levels of service.
Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, cabinet member for stronger communities, who is responsible for Lambeth’s library and leisure services, told the cabinet meeting that the cut would not lead to library closures.
He said the reduction in funding had been made possible by efficient use of rotas and by not filling vacant posts.
The vacancies had not affected the work of libraries, so there was no need to use the council’s budget in a way that was not necessary.
“The libraries are not in danger,” said Cllr Anyanwu. The council wanted to retain and improve the quality of service.
Earlier, the cabinet had heard a demand from the opposition Green party that other sources, for instance funds paid by developers to the council under the “Section 106” community infrastructure levy scheme, should be used to maintain funding for libraries.
This was dismissed by council leader Claire Holland who said the suggestion of using S106 money for such expenditure showed an ignorance of how the scheme operates.
The council’s future spending plans are due to be considered for approval by a full cabinet meeting on Wednesday 5 March.
