Labour restores funding to Upper Norwood library

Steve Reed MP has backed Croydon’s newly elected Labour council for restoring funding to Upper Norwood Library.  The library will now open for five days a week after receiving a funding boost of almost £50,000 for this year.  The library’s funding was slashed by Croydon’s former Tory council which also tried to sell off the building in an attempt to force the much loved local service to close. 

Labour has fulfilled an election pledge to increase funding to the level provided by neighbouring Lambeth Council.  The library serves people living in both Croydon and Lambeth, but Tories in Croydon broke an agreement to fund the library equally and reduced opening times to just three days a week.  The library will now open five days a week thanks to Labour’s decision to honour the century-old agreement that established the library as a joint service across the two boroughs.

Steve has a long history of supporting the library and the strong local campaign that has helped to save it.  First, as leader of Lambeth Council until 2012, he ensured his council’s share of the funding was maintained and challenged Croydon Tories over their attempts to close the library.  More recently, as MP for Croydon North, he has campaigned for Croydon to restore their share of funding so the service can open longer.

Following the announcement, Steve Reed MP said “I’ve been campaigning alongside local people for many years to give this wonderful local library a more secure future.  I’m delighted that Croydon’s new Labour council have kept their promise to increase funding to the level provided by Lambeth.  The Tories were wrong to try and kill off this valuable public service, I’m glad its future now looks brighter.”