Published: 22 December 2011
by DAN CARRIER

THREE new libraries are expected to be up and running by April after the Town Hall accepted bids for branches they claim they can no longer afford to keep open.

The Heath, Chalk Farm and Belsize libraries will be taken on by three different groups, it was announced this week.

The Winch commun­ity centre will be handed the keys to Belsize, in Antrim Grove; Chalk Farm in Sharpleshall Street will be run by a co-operative made up of the Friends of Chalk Farm Library and the Primrose Hill Commun­ity Association; while the Heath Library in Keats Grove will be run by the  newly formed Phoenix Group, made up of the Heath and Hampstead Society, The South End Green Association and then Friends of Heath Library.

Town Hall leisure chief Labour councillor Tulip Siddiq said: “It’s been a difficult year dealing with the government cuts to our council budget.

We were determined to minimise disruption to the library service and make the best of a bad situation.

“The impressive bids we’ve received have shown how residents are willing to step up and help run their well-loved libraries.”