Margaret Mullane, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, has officially responded to the Havering Council consultation on their proposals for library closures in the borough. Two of libraries identified for potential closure, South Hornchurch and Elm Park, are used by residents of the Dagenham and Rainham constituency.
In her response Margaret made the point that whilst understanding the difficult financial situation facing Havering Council the relatively small short-term saving from closing libraries will come at a monumental long-term cost to the community and that once these assets are gone, they will not come back.
Margaret said “The redevelopment of Rainham Library proved, with a bit of innovation, these sites can be financially viable assets. Rainham Library offers a mixed-use site which is cross subsidised by the residential units above and commercial units to the side. I would propose a similar model for South Hornchurch given the age of the existing building. However, I have also had concerns raised with me by constituents regarding the well-used community hall on the South Hornchurch site, and whether its future is also under threat.
In the case of Elm Park Library, the building is relatively new and boasts a living roof and solar panels. I would be interested to see the current business model and costs associated with the running of this site.”
Margaret went on to comment “I respect that difficult decisions must be made at times of economic uncertainty, but there are always options. In the Dagenham side of my constituency many of the libraries now operate as multi-purpose sites, renting space to the NHS and Met Police who offer on-site services, whilst continuing to offer a range of council led services alongside traditional library usage.
Local libraries and the services they provide underpin a message of opportunity, promoting literacy, shared values and the pursuit of knowledge. I am seeking assurances that all viable options will be explored in the coming months, with the aim of retaining these much-loved community assets.”
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