I went to the court proceedings for the possession order by the Council against the occupiers of Friern Barnet Library. Barnet Labour have two reports here and here about what happened today.
Essentially, due to the public interest in the case it will go to trial on 17th-21st December. This gives a little more time to the licensees to run the volunteer library.
Previously, when the library was first occupied, the Council showed the occupiers Friary House as an alternative venue to run a volunteer library. Then they started negotiating with the occupiers about possible alternative scenarios for running the library. By negotiating, the Council effectively turned the occupiers into licensees. The Council notified them last week that they were ceasing those negotiation,s despite them coming to some very detailed discussions about a large range of options.
We will see what the future holds, but in a worst case scenario the library might have been emptied today,and that the community hubis continuing is a very good thing indeed.
