Fears library in Grimsby could close for asbestos removal works
A Council report adds that continued funding pressures will inform how the library functions during the works
Grand plans for the refurbishment of Grimsby Central Library are being formed, though there is concern about the library having to shut again for asbestos removal works.
The refurbishment of unused upper floors of the Central Library was one of six projects awarded £20.9m Grimsby Towns Fund cash in 2021. The idea behind the library revamp was to accommodate new uses on the upper floors, including a possible Green Skills Hub, reflecting the area’s burgeoning green energy sector.
But cost pressures mean the project will now concentrate its ÂŁ4.2m slice of Towns Fund cash on just two floors of the building. The library will also have to close or relocate during the construction period, a council report has acknowledged.
A latest report on the library plans was heard by the council’s Tourism and Visitor Economy Scrutiny Panel earlier this month. It is understood councillors expressed concern about any possible closure of the library while works take place.
The report states Central Library services “will naturally need to either close or relocate during the construction period”. This includes for asbestos removal, which caused the library’s sudden closure in Autumn 2021. “Clearly, there are financial considerations in relation to this that will feed into the business case,” the report adds.
Cllr Hayden Dawkins, portfolio holder for culture, heritage and the visitor economy, commented: “We have been working on the library project as part of the original Towns Fund, with the ultimate goal of bringing the upper floors back into use. The refurbishment works are currently being planned, and we are working with Lincs Inspire to look at options available for when these come forward in the new year.”
In 2013/14, the library was reduced from occupying the whole of the building to just the lower floor because of funding challenges. There is no suggestion of expanding its space again.
The Towns Fund-supported refurbishment looks set to be scaled back to an extent. Global financial uncertainty and associated inflation has resulted in higher material and build costs. To keep within the £4.2m budget, “only essential repairs to the building and refurbishment to enable use of the first and second floors is currently considered feasible”.
The final use of the upper floors is still being determined with support from One Public Estate resources. An ambition for a Green Skills Hub remains, though. Grimsby Central Library opened almost fifty years ago, in 1968.