Friern Barnet Library-What is the Council up to?

Yesterday I paid a visit to Friern Barnet Library to visit the campaigners and get sight of the squatters who have occupied the vacant building.

Frankly, when I read in the on line version of the Barnet Times that Barnet Council had immediately offered the squatters an opportunity to take over premises at Friary Lodge, I thought it must be a joke. However, in Barnet, reality is often stranger than fiction and sure enough the leader of the squatters, Phoenix, not only told us about the offer but read out a long email from the council setting out their conditions.

There is a meeting tomorrow (Monday) morning at 10am between the squatters and senior council officers to talk further.

 Now I'm sure Phoenix and his comrades are jolly nice people and they have been clean and tidy  but they are not Barnet residents or Council taxpayers. The honest, genuine and law abiding and council tax paying local residents who form the Save Friern Barnet Library Campaign have been ignored completely by the Council.

Personally I find the Council's approach to this situation utter reprehensible but what is does show is that being reasonable with the Council doesn't work and that direct action pays. I think the Council have made a fundamental error of judgement  that will copme back to haunt them, but there again that comes as no surprise whatsoever.

Local Labour Councillors, Pauline Coakley Webb and Barry Rawlings were in attendance but remained outside the Library. Other campaigners came inside to see what was going on. Seeing the empty library in the heart of the community that could be use now whilst the £35,000 broom cupboard up at the Artsdepot, is nothing short of tragic.

It is quite clear the Council has turned it back on the people it should be listening to. The Council shouldn't therefore be surprised when, at the next election the local, decent, community spirited people of Barnet turn their backs on this utterly rotten Conservative regime and vote them out.