The News welcomes Southwark Council’s decision to grant the Feminist Library six more months at their current Westminster Bridge Home, following a protest over new rent demands.
The council is asking for rent for the first time in seven years – something the library says will put its future as the prime source of feminist literature in Britain into doubt.
Given the harsh government cuts to local spending, it is completely understandable that the council cannot afford to offer prime locations rent-free to organisations, no matter how worthy.
However, it is good news that some understanding has now been shown, which will allow the library to spend the next six months sourcing a new location – rather than being unceremoniously turfed out on March 1, as was originally planned.
Equally admirable was the council’s decision to decline the library’s offer of £500 per month rent during this interim period, instead suggesting the money should go towards the employment of someone who could help find a new home for the library – which will hopefully be somewhere in the borough.