Feryal Clark has written to Enfield Council with a series of scathing criticisms of the plans to close eight libraries, including three in her constituency

A local Labour MP has said she is “extremely disappointed” about Enfield Council’s library closures plan and has “serious concerns” about the impact it will have on her constituents.

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark published her detailed response to the Labour-run council’s libraries consultation on her website this evening (Friday 13th), becoming the first local MP to publicly criticise the plans.

The news that the council was planning to close eight of the 16 libraries it currently runs across the borough was first revealed by the Dispatch in August, with the public consultation being launched later that month. It continues until 14th November.

In the Enfield North constituency, the libraries earmarked for closure are Bullsmoor, Enfield Highway and Enfield Island Village. In her written response to the consultation, which runs to 1,327 words, Clark says: “I was extremely disappointed at the proposal to close these libraries. 

“I am not writing simply to oppose council measures, but because I have serious concerns about the impact that the closure of these services will have on my constituents, and particularly about the assessments that the council has made of the likely impact on vulnerable communities in the borough and of the independent value of library services to our community in Enfield North.”

The council has long warned that it needs to reduce spending on its libraries service, which at present includes more public libraries than any other London borough. The eight closures are predicted to save the council up to £630,000 per year and generate an estimated £3.25million from property sales.

This saving would only represent a small fraction of the £10.2m council finance chiefs are already saying they need to cut from the budget next year, however.

Clark has contrasted the decision with the aims set out in the council’s own Enfield Poverty and Inequality Commission Report launched by former council leader Nesil Caliskan four years ago.

The Labour MP said: “It [the report] specifically calls on the council to promote libraries as a place for children living in overcrowded conditions to do their homework, as well as recommending the provision of homework clubs in libraries and community centres in poorer wards. 

“However, the draft [libraries] strategy and strategic review provide minimal attention to the independent value of libraries, and to outcomes and measures which are associated with library provision to improve digital access and literacy, support cultural and creative enrichment, and increase reading and literacy.”

Regarding the specific closures of Bullsmoor, Enfield Highway and Enfield Island Village libraries, Clark adds: “I am particularly concerned that the three libraries identified for closure in Enfield North are in areas of particularly high need.  

“All three library’s wards (Brimsdown, Bullsmoor, Enfield Lock) have higher than borough average proportions of children in relative and absolute low-income families. Two of those three are rates ‘significantly higher’ than borough average. All three wards have households on unemployment benefits or Universal Credit at rates ‘significantly higher’ than the borough population overall.”

The Labour-run council has not yet had a chance to specifically address Clark’s criticisms but Chinelo Anyanwu, cabinet member for environment, culture, and public spaces, has previously defended the library closures decision and told a scrutiny committee meeting last month it was “informed by analysis on the use of the libraries, the needs of the community in different parts of the borough, the accessibility of [each] library building, feedback from the first phase of engagement from stakeholders, and the operation and maintenance cost of each library building”.

The Dispatch has also approached both Edmonton and Winchmore Hill MP Kate Osamor and Southgate and Wood Green MP Bambos Charalambous regarding the library closures in their constituencies but has not yet received any responses.

Take part in the council’s libraries consultation:
Visit https://www.enfield.gov.uk/consultations/library-consultation

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