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LEADER OF TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL
DECIDES THAT THE COUNCIL WILL RETAIN
BANCROFT LIBRARY FOR THE
LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES
Our public meeting on 27 September 2008 was attended by about 150 people; and was addressed by Bernard Kops, Stan Newens (former MP and MEP) and Professor Jerry White. The meeting agreed to ask Tower Hamlets Council not to sell Bancroft Library (resolution one); and to raise funds for the repair and adaptation of the whole building as THE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY CENTRE for the Borough's schoolchildren and students, local residents and visitors from all over the world (resolution two). In support of resolution two, Tom Ridge referred to floor plans which showed how the building could be used as the local history centre.
The full two-page text for each resolution may be downloaded from our
Latest News page.
After our well-attended and successful meeting, Brenda Daley (Chair of Ocean Estate Tenants & Leaseholders Association) asked one of her ward Councillors, Cllr. Alibor Choudhury, to help set up a meeting with Council Leader, Cllr. Lutfur Rhaman and Cabinet colleagues. At the meeting, which took place on Tuesday, 7 October, campaign working group members Brenda Daley, Clive Bettington, Melissa Parker and Tom Ridge met with Cllr. Lutfur Rahman and Cabinet colleagues Cllrs. Rofique Ahmed, Alibor Choudhury, Marc Francis and Joshua Peck. During the meeting, the two resolutions and the floor plans were presented to the Councillors. After a cordial exchange of views and a brief resume of fundraising possibilities, we were informed that they were close to making a decision. At the end of the meeting, we expressed the hope that a statement would be issued as soon as possible.
Cllr. Lutfur Rahman's statement was issued on Friday, 10 October, and, together with a brief statement by Tom Ridge, was immediately emailed to supporters.
Subsequently, we have learnt that officers have been given the task of fundraising for Bancroft Library. And we hope to have meetings with Cllr. Rofique Ahmed (and one or two other Councillors and senior officers) to assist with the initial programme of repairs and improvements. We are also keen to find out more about the Council's proposed fundraising strategy and how this will achieve THE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY CENTRE, which must be planned "in partnership with the Borough's Local History Librarian and the Borough's Archivist, the Borough's primary and secondary schools and Tower Hamlets College, historians and geographers, local residents and others" (resolution two).
Considerable progress has been made as a result of the East London Advertiser's campaign and the campaign to SAVE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY & ARCHIVES AT BANCROFT ROAD. The campaign's working group is particularly grateful to the:
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3,661 local residents and others who have so far signed our petition to keep and improve the local history library and archives at Bancroft Library
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1,312 people who signed the East London Advertiser's e-petition to the Prime Minister
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growing number of supporting organisations and individuals
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organisations and individuals who have written to council officers and/or Councillors
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150 or so people who attended our public meeting on 27 September at the Arbour Youth Centre (by kind permission of the Rector of Stepney), donated £147.00 to campaign funds and marched to Bancroft Library to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed sale
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three excellent speakers, Bernard Kops, Stan Newens and Professor Jerry White; and the reporters and photographers who covered the meeting and demonstration
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twelve shops and community centres which served as collection points for posters, petition forms and badges
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Nigel Winfield (formerly of Stepney, now living in South Wales) for his donation of £150.00.
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The campaign to SAVE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY & ARCHIVES AT BANCROFT ROAD will continue until Bancroft Library becomes THE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY CENTRE.
Although it is no longer necessary to present the petition to Tower Hamlets Cabinet, we will continue the petition until its final date of 30 October 2008 as a grand total of just over 4,000 signatures will undoubtedly help the council with fundraising from "external sources".
We also need more messages of support from organisations and well-known individuals. Finally, would ward residents and others (especially individuals and organisations who have written previously) write to members of the Tower Hamlets Cabinet thanking them for saving Bancroft Library and hoping that they will support its reuse as THE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY CENTRE. (see the How To Get Involved page)
Tom Ridge
on behalf of the campaign to Save Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives at Bancroft Road
THE PRIME MINISTER'S RESPONSE TO THE EAST LONDON ADVERTISER'S e-PETITION ASKING HIM TO REFUND THE REFURBISHMENT OF BANCROFT LIBRARY (2 October 2008)
The Government recognizes that the closure or relocation of public libraries and archives is an emotive issue and we encourage local authorities to consult communities about changes to services that will affect them. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, with The National Archives, will continue to support institutions to deliver services and resources the community needs by sharing best practice and advocating the value of well-resourced, responsive museum, archive and library services within communities.
But the Government remains committed to the principle that locally accountable politicians and managers should be free to decide how to deliver library and archive services in their authority in a way which is appropriate for their communities. The future of Tower Hamlets Local History and Archives Library in Bancroft Road is therefore a matter for Tower Hamlets Borough Council.
CLLR. LUTFUR RAHMAN'S STATEMENT (10 October 2008)
As someone whose grandfather first arrived in the East End in the 1940s and who has spent most of my life here, I am convinced that our common history can be a force to bring together people with different cultural backgrounds. That is why, when I became Leader of Tower Hamlets Council a couple of months back, I promised the East London Advertiser's readers that I would do everything I could to ensure that we cherish the East End's unique heritage. Not long after that, I discovered that Queen Mary College had offered to buy our Bancroft Library. This proposal involved a multi million pound renovation of the historic Vestry Hall to house the internationally acclaimed Wiener Library. Having the Wiener Library in Tower Hamlets would really help our work to make sure today's generation understand the tragedy that befell the Jewish people the last time anti-Semitism was allowed to go unchecked. So I took the view that the offer required further investigation to see whether we could combine it with our own desire to make the Local History Library and Archive more accessible to the public.
Our enquiries have now been completed and it is time for a decision. After receiving expert advice, it is clear to me that the archive cannot easily be separated from the Local History Library itself. It is also clear that the council does not, at present, have any other building capable of housing both the archive and library, let alone providing the quiet space researchers usually need. I have therefore decided that the Council will retain Bancroft for the Local History Library and Archive.
The challenge now is to secure the funding needed to complete the urgent repairs and bring the Vestry Hall back to its former glory. Having just committed the Council to invest £5 million in the long-overdue restoration of Victoria Park, I cannot at this stage commit a similar sum to the Bancroft. I have therefore instructed council officers to try to identify external sources of funding to help finance those works. In the meantime, we will be looking at how we can improve conditions in the History Library and increase public access. Our shared history is not something to be locked away or reserved for the few. It is something to be shared and celebrated by the many. That is very hard in the current cramped space, so I am seeing if more can be made available. My lead councillor for culture, Rofique Uddin Ahmed, will be coming forward with further details in the next few weeks.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Advertiser and its readers for highlighting just how valuable a resource the Local History Library and Archive are to local people. I hope your campaign will not stop here, but will now get behind our efforts to persuade other public bodies to help finance the restoration of the Vestry Hall and give the Local History Library and Archive the home it deserves.
TOM RIDGE'S STATEMENT (10 October 2008)
Cllr. Lutfur Rahman is to be congratulated on his decision to keep the local history library & archives at Bancroft Library. This is good news for all concerned, but we have asked for the whole building to be reused as the Tower Hamlets Local History Centre. We therefore hope that the council will make the necessary financial committment to secure funding from elsewhere.
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The Public Meeting held on Saturday 27th September was a huge success and culminated with a march to the Bancroft to show the strength of our feeling.
See more images from the day on
Latest News.
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