In a local newspaper on April 17, 2011, Croydon Councillor Tony Pearson said, when asked about New Addington library, "The current library building is old and not really fit for purpose".
When Councillor Sara Bashford was being interviewed by the same newspaper on January 16, 2013, she said: "We will be moving the library into the Calat, that is the plan at the moment. To shut the current building which is quite old and getting to the end of its useful life".
And in the edition of April 17, 2012, she added: "The library is currently in a quite old, crumbling building".
A few months later on September 28, 2012, when Councillor Tim Pollard was talking via the local media, he stated "We are going to relocate the library for two reasons. One is the existing building is no longer fit for purpose – it is falling to bits. It was built back at a time when building standards weren't great".
Taking all of the above into account, I would come to the conclusion that the old New Addington building is in a virtual state of collapse.
My question is why, if the old library building, which was "not fit for purpose" in 2011 and "getting to the end of it's useful life", "quite old and crumbling" and "falling to bits" in 2012, is it now, and for the next 18 to 24 months, being leased to The Salvation Army, who are using it as a play centre for the children of New Addington?
Are Croydon Council callously putting money ahead of the safety of the residents of New Addington, or were Councillors Pearson, Bashford and Pollard deliberately lying, so as to smooth the way for Croydon Council to get the green light, as they have done this week, to sell the land to a major supermarket?
And finally, will Croydon Council assume liability if the building does "crumble" or "fall to pieces" and people are injured or possibly killed, or more to the point, will Councillors Pearson, Bashford and Pollard be reprimanded, dismissed, or even prosecuted, if the building is found to be perfectly safe, and they are found to have been lying, scaremongering and abusing their power when placed into a position of trust?
Gary James McIver
Forestdale
- Send your letters to: letters@croydonguardian.co.uk
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