Category: Education

Healthy School Streets Consultation

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Healthy School Streets – Have Your Say

Croydon Council would like to hear what you think about plans to introduce six new Healthy School Streets in Croydon.

Following the introduction of 40 Healthy School Streets across the borough, the Council have been working with schools to understand where there is an interest in introducing a new scheme, but before doing so, the Council are keen to hear your views.

The schools being considered are:

  • Applegarth Academy, Addington CR0 9DL
  • Beulah Road Infant and Nursery, Thornton Heath CR7 8NJ
  • Harris Primary Academy Purley Way, South Croydon CR0 4FE
  • John Wood Primary School, Croydon CR0 6JA
  • Riddlesdown Collegiate, Purley CR8 1EX
  • Rowdown Primary School, New Addington CR0 0EG

What are Healthy School Streets?

Healthy School Streets help pupils to have safer, healthier journeys to and from school, by restricting the roads outside the school during school drop-off and pick-up times.

This encourages parents and pupils to leave the car at home more often for the school run, and instead choose more sustainable and active means of travel, such as walking, cycling, or scooting. Healthy School Streets benefit residents by decreasing motor traffic in their neighbourhood during busy pick-up and drop-off hours – reducing congestion, noise, and air pollution.

Benefits of Healthy School Streets:

  • Safer school journeys for pupils
  • Make it easier to choose sustainable travel like walking and cycling
  • Cleaner and less polluted streets
  • Improve our air quality
  • Encourage active travel, helping to promote healthy lifestyles

How do I get involved?

Before making a decision on the future of these schemes we want to hear from local residents and drivers who use the roads on the proposals.

Take the consultation survey between Wednesday 8 May and Tuesday 28 May to give your views.

The Council encourage everyone to provide their views, this includes pupils, parents and school staff.

For any scheme specific enquiries or if you require the consultation information in a different format contact Croydon Council on 020 8726 6000, 9am – 4pm Monday – Friday, or email: healthyschoolstreets@croydon.gov.uk

Note: when contacting Croydon Council via email you must enter the scheme specific reference in the subject line.

What happens next?

Feedback will be used to develop recommendations that will be reported to Cabinet, It will then decide on the future of the schemes.

If approved, further consultation will be held on the Healthy School Streets during the summer.

Save Our Shirley Library – Meeting Friday 24 May 2024

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Shirley Library is under threat of closure from Croydon Council.

We need to support this valuable social and community asset and preserve an iconic art deco building.

The library is Shirley’s only social hub available free to all, regardless of age or background.

Users of the library include young people doing Duke of Edinburgh awards, toddlers learning to read, children on holiday doing the Reading Challenge, older people from one of the many retirement homes, young people doing their homework on the computers. It provides:

  • access via the Libraries Consortium to 350 branches, 23 local authorities and access to over 7 million books.
  • support for people preparing for their driving test or citizenship test and for exams in general.
  • computer courses and support with IT problems for many who cannot afford to have a computer at home and offers a space for study and reflection.
  • children’s craft sessions and adult events, such as taster courses on deaf language.
  • advice on many of the social issues that affect people, such as homelessness, domestic violence, unemployment.

There will be a meeting at Shirley Library on Friday 24th May at 1.00pm to discuss our next actions, everyone is welcome.

We need to act now by spreading the word to friends and family.

A group of concerned residents have branded themselves Friends of Shirley Library and have started a movement to save our library.

There is a petition which can be signed in Shirley Library or online https://chng.it/Ww96qMBX6y

If you want to make contact with the Friends of Shirley Library, please email your name, email address, and telephone number to spra.comms@email.com. By so doing, you agree to your details being passed to others similarly interested.

You can also help by emailing our local councillors –

Jason.Cummings@croydon.org.uk

Scott.Roche@croydon.org.uk

Have Your Say on the Proposed Changes to Library Services

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Have Your Say:
The council is keen to hear the views of residents including any impacts and alternative options to closing buildings and improving the service for residents. The consultation will also ask for ideas for future library outreach services and community venues that could be used to reach more people.

Through the consultation, residents will be asked for their views and ideas for developing the offer in New Addington, Purley and South Norwood to help design how library services can be improved in these areas, to make them more accessible and better used by local people.

The proposal:
Six ‘library hubs’ (Central, Ashburton, Thornton Heath, Norbury, Selsdon and Coulsdon) are proposed to be open five to six days a week, including Saturdays, and will deliver an extensive offer of books, wifi, PCs, study spaces and events. These libraries have all proved to be well-used, accessible buildings that meet local needs. Future investment in these sites is recommended to improve the facilities and extend the opening times and services available.

To make the improvements proposed, four library buildings; Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Sanderstead, and Shirley are proposed to be closed. This proposal is based on analysis of the buildings including visitor numbers, size and condition of the buildings, the size and needs of the communities they serve and running costs.

Activist’s research found three areas — New Addington, Purley and South Norwood — need library services, but low visitor numbers suggest the current set-up isn’t working. The council is proposing to introduce ‘community hubs’ in these areas, where a library would be available alongside other services such as family and adult education services and community partnerships.

Other library services – such as the home library service and the extensive digital offer, including e-books and magazines, online learning and training resources – are set to continue and be improved as part of the future service.

There are many ways you can get involved in the consultation:

  • Take the online survey by 11.59pm, Friday 19 April 2024
  • Pick up a paper survey from a Croydon library (available from Monday 12 February) – check library opening times here
  • Join one of the public events being held in libraries and community venues. See the list here
  • Request a paper copy of the consultation proposals and questionnaire by calling 020 7884 5159 and leaving a message including your name, full postal address and a contact number

Please return paper surveys by Wednesday 17 April 2024.
Paper surveys can be returned to libraries.
Or by post to:
Library Consultation Questionnaire, Croydon Central Library, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Alternatively, you can return your questionnaire to your nearest library with a letterbox: Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Norbury, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon, Shirley, South Norwood or Thornton Heath.

What happens next?:
Feedback received will help the council develop further recommendations which are due to go back to cabinet in June 2024.

Croydon Library Consultation – Proposed Closure of 4 Libraries

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Croydon Council is proposing to consult residents on changes to its library service that will make it easier for more people across the borough to enjoy books and activities. Proposals include longer opening hours including weekends, improved facilities in fewer library buildings, and more staff to provide a new outreach service.

A report to the council’s cabinet meeting next week details extensive research into the borough’s library service, following service reductions made since the council’s financial collapse in April 2020. The report can be found on the council website.

Since the changes were introduced, the council has been listening to residents and staff who have said that despite best efforts, the service model isn’t working – that it doesn’t provide the opening hours needed or enough of the services that residents want and need.

The cabinet report sets out the detailed research findings and proposed recommendations for a more sustainable library service. It proposes longer opening hours including weekends, with more events and services available to residents, by reducing the number of buildings and investing in well-used sites. No job losses are proposed, with the council intending to use the majority of the money saved from building costs to increase the number of library staff to provide the extended opening and outreach services. Cabinet will be asked for approval to start consultation on the proposals.

To make these improvements, four library buildings; Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Sanderstead, and Shirley are proposed to be closed. This proposal is based on analysis of the buildings including visitor numbers, size and condition of the buildings, the size and needs of the communities they serve and running costs.

Six libraries (Central, Ashburton, Thornton Heath, Norbury, Selsdon and Coulsdon) are proposed to be open five to six days a week, including Saturdays, and will deliver an extensive offer of books, wifi, PCs, study spaces and events. These libraries have all proved to be well-used, accessible buildings that meet local needs. Future investment in these sites is recommended to improve the facilities and extend the opening times and services available.

Activist’s research found three areas — New Addington, Purley and South Norwood — need library services, but low visitor numbers suggest the current set-up isn’t working. The council is proposing to introduce community hubs in these areas, where a library would be available alongside other services such as family and adult education services and community partnerships.

Through the consultation, residents will be asked for their views and ideas for developing the offer in New Addington, Purley and South Norwood to help design how library services can be improved in these areas, to make them more accessible and better used by local people.

Other library services – such as the home library service and the extensive digital offer, including e-books and magazines, online learning and training resources – are set to continue and be improved as part of the future service.

A 10-week consultation is set to launch after cabinet and residents are encouraged to have their say on the proposals and share their ideas for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the library service. Details will be available from Croydon libraries and on the council’s Get Involved website.

The council is keen to hear the views of those affected by the proposed library closures, including any impacts and alternative options to closing buildings and improving the service for residents. The consultation will also ask for ideas for future library outreach services and community venues that could be used to reach more people. Feedback received will help the council develop further recommendations which will go back to cabinet in May 2024.