Locals in East Finchley have taken matters into their own hands after the removal of the station's bookstand
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Transport for London (TFL) has removed all book-swap stands from tube stations across London. The decision came due to guidance from the London Fire Brigade (LFB), which suggested the removal of these stands due to the risk of fire. However, Londoners have reacted badly to the news, calling the decision “ridiculous” and saying how communities are “dismayed.”
Overnight, the mini-libraries at tube stations such as Willesden Green, Oval, and East Finchley were removed by TFL and replaced with signs reading, “To keep to our London Fire Brigade Regulations and Requirements, we have to close down our Book exchanges.”
The LFB believe that the book stands could pose a fire risk. In a meeting at City Hall, the organisation told the London Assembly that, “The Sub-surface Railway Station Regulations (2009) are really clear that you can’t have combustible materials on the underground.”
One of the tube stations that has seen their library removed is Willesden Green, but residents have argued that it isn’t a sub-surface station. Sonja Nerdrum, who was involved in setting up and maintaining the bookstand said, “We are not an underground, we are an overground, and we have two entrances, it just so could not be a fire hazard.”
Locals in Willesden Green are unhappy about the removal of the station library
Linda Galvin is another volunteer who helped to run the stand at Willesden Green, and she talked of the impact that losing it will have on locals.
“The tube library has become a beloved fixture at Willesden Green Station. We receive tremendous support from the community, hence the dismay at its removal.”
Linda also mentioned the lack of warning: “We were given no notice, and were not contacted about the removal.”
Another station that has lost its book swap stand is East Finchley. Local resident Liz Inman questioned the fire hazard posed by the book stand, telling City News, “It’s a load of nonsense, because the Metro is just sitting there opposite the bookshelf, and you’re not going to tell me that a solid book is more flammable than the flimsy stack of Metros. It’s ridiculous because it’s really inconsistent.”
London Assembly member Hina Bokhari OBE criticised TFL for their communication surrounding the removal of the book stands, describing it as “incredibly poor”.
“This is another example of where TFL are not communicating well when it comes to public safety,” says Hina.
She believes the book stands are a “brilliant idea,” and so hopes that there will be a future for them.
“What we need is a common sense approach. They are a lovely idea that people want to see, and we should be able to bring them in in a way that is safe, so we have people travelling around London knowing they can get from one place to another safely without the risk of fires.”
-Hina Bokhari OBE
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has intervened in the debate, telling the Evening Standard that he hopes there will be a “u-turn” on the decision. TFL also said in a statement that we “will work with the Fire Service to see if book swaps can be re-introduced at some stations across the network in the future,” and so we might not have seen the final chapter for tube station libraries.
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Headline‘It’s a load of nonsense’: Londoners react to the closure of tube station libraries
Short Headline'It’s nonsense': Londoners react to closure of tube station libraries
StandfirstAll libraries at tube stations across London have been closed due to fire safety concerns, but Londoners question the reasons behind the decision
Transport for London (TFL) has removed all book-swap stands from tube stations across London. The decision came due to guidance from the London Fire Brigade (LFB), which suggested the removal of these stands due to the risk of fire. However, Londoners have reacted badly to the news, calling the decision “ridiculous” and saying how communities are “dismayed.”
Overnight, the mini-libraries at tube stations such as Willesden Green, Oval, and East Finchley were removed by TFL and replaced with signs reading, “To keep to our London Fire Brigade Regulations and Requirements, we have to close down our Book exchanges.”
The LFB believe that the book stands could pose a fire risk. In a meeting at City Hall, the organisation told the London Assembly that, “The Sub-surface Railway Station Regulations (2009) are really clear that you can’t have combustible materials on the underground.”
One of the tube stations that has seen their library removed is Willesden Green, but residents have argued that it isn’t a sub-surface station. Sonja Nerdrum, who was involved in setting up and maintaining the bookstand said, “We are not an underground, we are an overground, and we have two entrances, it just so could not be a fire hazard.”
Locals in Willesden Green are unhappy about the removal of the station library
Linda Galvin is another volunteer who helped to run the stand at Willesden Green, and she talked of the impact that losing it will have on locals.
“The tube library has become a beloved fixture at Willesden Green Station. We receive tremendous support from the community, hence the dismay at its removal.”
Linda also mentioned the lack of warning: “We were given no notice, and were not contacted about the removal.”
Another station that has lost its book swap stand is East Finchley. Local resident Liz Inman questioned the fire hazard posed by the book stand, telling City News, “It’s a load of nonsense, because the Metro is just sitting there opposite the bookshelf, and you’re not going to tell me that a solid book is more flammable than the flimsy stack of Metros. It’s ridiculous because it’s really inconsistent.”
London Assembly member Hina Bokhari OBE criticised TFL for their communication surrounding the removal of the book stands, describing it as “incredibly poor”.
“This is another example of where TFL are not communicating well when it comes to public safety,” says Hina.
She believes the book stands are a “brilliant idea,” and so hopes that there will be a future for them.
“What we need is a common sense approach. They are a lovely idea that people want to see, and we should be able to bring them in in a way that is safe, so we have people travelling around London knowing they can get from one place to another safely without the risk of fires.”
-Hina Bokhari OBE
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has intervened in the debate, telling the Evening Standard that he hopes there will be a “u-turn” on the decision. TFL also said in a statement that we “will work with the Fire Service to see if book swaps can be re-introduced at some stations across the network in the future,” and so we might not have seen the final chapter for tube station libraries.
