The big society is crossing swords with the localism agenda in Brent, north London. You
may recall the Friends of Kensal Rise Library, a voluntary group that was being frustrated by
Labour-led Brent Council. They are one of six community organisations in the borough who are unsuccessfully resisting the council’s decision to close 6 libraries.
The council is adamant that the campaigners cannot succeed unless they raise sufficient funds independent of the council; the council leader, Labour’s Ann John, told the Kilburn Times:
‘If they can come up with a plan at no cost to the council then we will listen.’
So far the various campaign groups have not found an alternative source of funding, but neither has the council exhausted all the possibilities open to it. Last month, Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors tabled a Budget amendment to save the threatened libraries by curbing council waste. In the recent past, Brent Council has spent £250,000 on diversity officers and £159,000 on external crime and safety specialists; and the council still employs 19 members of staff on salaries above £100,000 a year.
The amendment was thrown out and the council approved library cuts of £400,000 this year. Its reasons are political. The council is determined to merge the borough’s 12 libraries under one roof at the new ‘civic centre’ in Wembley. Sports halls, gyms and youth clubs from across the borough are also being forcibly relocated, which has inspired interested residents to form community groups in protest.
The council’s constant refrain is that its policies will save more than £1million over 2 years. The trouble for its opponents is that it’s probably right: Councils from Hammersmith and Fulham, Newham and Suffolk have all saved money by making similar service rationalisations.
The various big society groups in Brent lament their powerlessness and are considering calling on the Culture Secretary to intervene under the 1964 Libraries Act. But, as a wasteful Labour council is busy taking responsibility for unpopular cuts, the coalition may not intervene. Also, the government has welcomed previous council rationalisations as localism in action; it is unlikely to turn on Brent to score cheap points, no matter how tempting in the run up to elections next month. However, the big society will struggle to bloom if the government privileges councils above it.
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