Lynne Featherstone

The local community and the Haringey Liberal Democrats are calling on the Labour council to halt their plans to cut the mobile library service.

Labour-run Haringey Council have announced their intention to cut the service in papers for the budget meeting next week. At the budget meeting on the 27^th February councillors will decide whether to cut or keep the mobile library service in 2014.

The proposal for the axing of the Mobile and Housebound Library Service includes all services provided by the Mobile and Housebound Service;

• The delivery of library stock to 38 Sheltered Housing Units, 12 Children’s Centres, Day Centres and 7 street sites
• A Deposit  collection of Library material to 30 Residential Homes,
• The delivery of library stock to 180 Haringey residents who are housebound and cannot access library services.
• The delivery of the Bookstart packs from the Book Trust to nurseries, playgroups, children’s centres and health centres

The Haringey Lib Dems have submitted an amendment to the Labour budget that will protect the mobile library service.

Local library action groups have rallied against the plans and launched a letter writing campaign to try and stop the mobile library service being cut.

Cllr Nigel Scott, Lib Dem communities spokesperson, comments:

“The mobile library is a very important service for the disabled, elderly and for the young and it relatively little in terms of the council’s budget.  It is a lifeline for some of our  most vulnerable residents, particularly those who are housebound.

“We believe we have found the money to keep the mobile library service by cutting the council’s spend on expensive agency staff. We will be submitting an amendment to the budget to protect the service; I hope that the Labour leadership will listen to the public and vote for our amendment to keep the mobile library.”

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, comments:

“It would be a travesty if this vital local service was needlessly lost. The Labour-run Council need to get their priorities right – stop the wasteful spending and start supporting key services like mobile libraries.

“I am very pleased that the Haringey Lib Dems have submitted an amendment to protect the mobile library service – and I sincerely hope that Labour change their minds before the budget meeting.”