St James Street Drug Centre plan to go ahead?

On the 2nd of March Coppermill School played host to the first ever Community Council with a queue to get in! An eagle eyed regular had spotted the council trying to sneak though the conversion of the Library building into a drug centre, hidden away at the end of an economic report.
Residents many of whom have campaigned for 2 years collecting 1000′s of petitions to get the library reopened for community use were understandably outraged. The Library was of course originally closed practically overnight without any consultation.

Pro drug centre Councillors have recently begun smearing local opposition as “just a bunch of Nimbys (Not In My Back Yard)“. However what was most striking about the meeting was not just the sheer numbers and strength of opposition but the depth of understanding and knowledge about the subject. There is after all already a drug centre in our back yard, barely a three minute walk away from the library building.

At the meeting Councillors present were visibly shocked by the eloquent and vociferous opposition, and many including Lib Dem James O’Rourke stated plainly they were against the building being converted into a drugs centre. The money to convert the centre was formally taken out of the report originally designed to sneak it through and many slightly naively thought victory had on the night been won.

BAG has now learnt that the drug centre plans are being pushed forward by the Drug Action Team and supportive councillors. The one rather large obstacle being voters, elections are not far away and councillors and the cabinet themselves are very wary of an electoral backlash.

On the 18th June Cabinet will be meeting to “advance” the development of the building as a drugs centre. Residents have the right to speak at the meeting and make comments upto a week before. Here’s the details:

Decision due at meeting: 18 June 2009
A decision will be sought on the use of the premises at 5-7 Coppermill Lane by the Council’s Drug Action Team.

Contact: Andrew Kilburn, Chief Executive Email: andrew.kilburn@walthforest.gov.uk Tel: 020 8496 4201.
Any comments to be made in writing or by e-mail to the report author at least one week prior to the date of Cabinet meeting. Members of the public may request to speak at Cabinet meetings.

Read details of the meeting on the council website.

It’s important that residents make clear their opposition to these plans by contacting the reports author ASAP – Andrew Kilburn, Chief Executive Email: andrew.kilburn@walthforest.gov.uk Tel: 020 8496 4201.

Residents can also contact Councillors:
Chris Robbins, council leader: leader@walthamforest.gov.uk
John Macklin, council deputy leader:
cllr.john.macklin@walthamforest.gov.uk

and our local ward councillors:
Cllr.James.O’Rourke@walthamforest.gov.uk
cllr.liaquat.ali@walthamforest.gov.uk
cllr.johar.khan@walthamforest.gov.uk

Local residents, the Library Campaign and BAG have fought long and hard to ensure the building is available as a community space with some Library element.  Other suggestions include sharing the building with other parties, eg Frederick St nursery.

BAG would like to know if Councillors will honour the promises they made to residents at the community council in March?
If Labour councillors attempt to force it through will other parties force them to bring the vote to the full council?
We have also heard little from Andrew Kilburn on his investigation into how that decision was initially pushed through in such an underhand way.