Common Wealth: A Curate's response to Big Society

A small council estate on the edge of Gloucester is beginning to find out what Big Society really means. Facing cuts to public and third sector care the churches begin to try and unravel, with the community, what is really happening? 

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The Big Community

I attended an event this weekend hosted by the County Council. It was billed as part of the consultation on cuts in services but consultation was not on offer. It was just them giving information and any challenge to their logic was meant with either bafflement or the explanation that they are only there to explain how it will be.

In all of that it became clear to me that the criteria they used for choosing to close Matson library assumes:
Everyone owns a car
All library properties are of equal market value and sale-ability

It follows that Matson will be offered the lowest level of library service of the entire county and offered the least amount of money of all those with services cut.

Third sector stands with the councillors opposing Matson library cuts

Gloucester County Council Must Re-think Library Plans

The Gloucester County Council (GCC) proposals, 'Meeting the Challenge', including plans to close Matson Library, claims it is facilitating a transfer of services to a community-run library. These proposals show a disregard for local democracy and a prejudice against poorer communities. The Meeting the Challenge priorities are to:

• Live within our means
• Provide the basics
• Help communities help themselves.

On each of these priorities the GCC has failed to take responsibility for the future of Matson library.

Provide the basics: Matson needs a fully serviced library

Matson library remains a popular and important facility for people of all ages and demographics. Many local volunteers are stretched to capacity: working at the library through summer projects, Matson Forum events, and weekly drop-ins for young people.

It is important in an area of economic deprivation and high unemployment that access to books and internet job-searches should be locally available. Closing Matson library will be bad for both jobs and literacy in this community. Expecting people to travel to the city centre to access services threatens community spirit, weakens local democracy, and an already precarious volunteerism. Many will be unable to afford regular buses into the city to access centralised services.

Help communities to help themselves: GCC Transfer plan is not viable

Where the GCC's commitments to supporting the transfer to a community-run library are not vague they are sparse. Comparing this social experiment with a community-run library service in Buckinghamshire is superficial and misleading. The place, political context, and support offered are not comparable. In comparing Matson to previous projects, the GCC ignores the changing political context in which all services struggle to find volunteers and grants. They make the mistake of universalising the particular: this is lazy policy making and a recipe for disaster.

In their slender offer of support the GCC sends a clear message to the people of Matson: the GCC expect the library to shut down without a fuss and for local people to take the blame.

The GCC wants the changes to “reflect the changing needs” of residents but within the increasing pressure on volunteering and grant applications and the increased urgency of need for fair and equal access to public service for poorer communities the GCC is exacerbating need, not meeting it.

Live within our means: 'Meeting the Challenge' exploits the poorest communities making services less democratic

To use Matson as a social experiment for re-thinking library services discriminates against one of the poorest communities in the county. Libraries flagged up for 'Library Express' are in wealthier parts of the county. Mooting a community-run library in Matson makes the service vulnerable to exploitation by businesses and grant-making bodies with their own agendas. This is not democracy 'within our means': For the GCC the 'Big Society' is the 'Big Business Society' where external groups take over local services and all accountability to the local users is lost. If the GCC continues with the current plans for libraries then local democracy will be weakened.

Recommendations

1. That GCC holds well publicised face-to-face consultations in all areas where library services are ear-marked for reduced services.
2. That Matson Library becomes a Library Express in its current or other suitable location.
3. GCC guarantees that grant money generated from the sale of library properties be ring-fenced for a community library service which should not be used for any other purpose.
4. GCC removes the 'Match funded' component of the maintenance grant which may lead to poor communities receiving significantly less support than wealthier ones.

Matson Forum Signatories:

Bob Allen

Chair, Matson and Robinswood Community Partnership

Kevin Durrant
Matson resident

Minister of Matson Baptist Church

Terry Elcock

Robinswood Resident

Kate Haigh

City Councillor, Matson and Robinswood

Keith Hebden

Matson resident

Priest, St Katharine's and St Hilda's parish, Matson

Julian Hiles

Matson resident

Chair, Matson & Robinswood Residents Group

Pippa Kilgour

Reader, St Katharine's and St Hilda's parish, Matson

Steve McHale

Matson resident

County Councillor, Matson and Robinswood

Martin Latham

Head teacher, Robinswood Primary School, Matson

Penny Liddicott

Chief executive, GL Communities

Janet Lugg

City Councillor, Matson and Robinswood

Jeni Parsons

Matson resident

Rector St Katharine's and St Hilda's parish, Matson

Mary Smith

Matson resident

City Councillor, Matson and Robinswood

Vanessa Worrall

Matson resident

Project Manager Together In Matson

Matson Library Future Uncertain

Gloucestershire County Council has proposed that Matson Library be transferred to unspecified 'people' living in the neighbourhood or closed down and sold off as part of a county-wide shake down of library services.

Click here to have your say!

Under the scheme, some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Gloucestershire will see their funded services axed while some of the wealthier areas will continue to have a "full range of library services" for at least 48 hours each week.

Despite being open part-time, Matson library receives around 80,000 visits each year and is an important centre for children's and community activities and for local residents to spend time on the internet looking for work. The library has been on the forefront of themed reading adventure weeks and the celebrated scarecrow trails of recent years.

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) are not saying they are closing the library; they claim they are leaving the decision to local people whether they want to run the library themselves. However, the transfer arrangements on offer - some shelves and an uspecified number of used books - hardly speaks of a council that is confident in the future of libraries run by local communities.

To find out more visit the GCC library pages. To be part of the consultation process click here.