Finish date for £6.8m-budget Kettering Cornerstone roof replacement project announced as library and art gallery to be made watertight

A timeline published by North Northants Council has revealed scaffolding erection work is set to begin on April 28 (2025), a process that will take just under four months.

The roof of Kettering Library will then be stripped and replaced starting in mid-August. The Alfred East Art Gallery will have its roof stripped and replaced starting at the end of September.

Re-roofing with a mixture of coverings, including a bespoke order of Collyweston stone, will take up to 10 months.

Scaffolding will remain in place around the Grade II-listed building until June 2026.

North Northants Council appointed contractor Messenger in February who will place a temporary roof over the building to enable work.

The complex comprising needs major repairs to its roofs that became apparent after the addition of a £4.5m extension.

Rain has been leaking through broken tiles and joins where the new extension to the Alfred East Art Gallery was added.

Town centre users have been warned of possible disruption in Sheep Street.

Short term restrictions will be in place including road closures for a week to allow a crane on site to lift the scaffolding into place.

Once scaffolding is erected, the crane will be removed, and Sheep Street will be open to vehicles as usual with pedestrian access to be maintained throughout the project.

Hoardings are due to be installed around the building with access maintained for the entrance into the temporary library, with residents advised to follow all signage and staff advice on site to stay safe.

North Northamptonshire Council is liaising with Kettering Town Council and the Royal British Legion on any impact and disruption around the town’s war memorials, which will need to be protected whilst work is ongoing.

A spokesman for North Northants Council said: “Residents should be assured that both Messenger and North Northamptonshire Council are making every effort to minimise disruption throughout the duration of the project - which is expected to take just over a year to complete.”

Once work on replacing the slates begins, a mixture of new, and where possible, reclaimed Collyweston slates on the roof will be cemented in position.

The library remains temporarily relocated in the extension of Cornerstone for the ‘foreseeable future’.

- Start date: April 14, 2025

- Scaffolding erection to commence: April 28, 2025

- Start of library roof strip and replace: August 11, 2025

- Start of art gallery roof strip and replace: September 25, 2025

- Removal of scaffolding: June 6, 2026

- Project complete: August 5, 2026