Kettering Library creeper and ivy to be removed from crumbling Cornerstone

Vegetation causing damage to Kettering Library is set to be removed as part of the long-term project to re-open the Cornerstone complex – including the Alfred East Art Gallery.

Work will begin in March to get rid of plants including ivy and Virginia Creeper that covers many of the exterior walls and the roof.

The plants have been growing through the building’s windows and roof causing damage to the already-leaking building.

With an eye-watering budget of £6.8m, the project has entered the ‘delivery’ phase of preparation work and surveys before scaffolding and the tenting of the roof begins.

Cllr Helen Howell, the North Northants Council’s deputy leader and executive member for culture, said: “As we move to the ‘delivery’ phase of this extremely complex and carefully thought out project, we have been working with specialists on the best solutions to preserve this important historical building.

“As part of this process, we have been advised that the ivy on the outside of the building is causing damage and should be removed. The Virginia Creeper is directly affecting the rainwater dispersal system, which has been a major factor in the recent issues with the leaking roof and removing the vegetation will also allow the historic architecture of this beautiful building to be visible.

“Removal of the ivy and Virginia Creeper was always going to be the final option, but we have to consider the damage that is being caused and the long-term impacts.”

Kettering’s £4.5m Cornerstone extension partially opened to the public nearly two years late, with the lending service working from the new building.

Conditions in the existing library had become so dangerous and dire that staff were left dodging parts of the ceiling that had collapsed into the public area.

North Northamptonshire Council will start works to fully remove all the vegetation and clean up the exterior of the Grade II-listed building, to ‘prevent further damage’ and ‘reduce maintenance costs in the long term’, while allowing for the ‘historical architecture of the building to be visible’.

Tree canopies around the building have already been raised to prevent further damage to existing roof slates.

A spokesman for NNC said: “The works are taking place now to avoid the removal of plants later in the year when, typically, they would be flowering/denser.”

Jason Smithers, leader of NNC, added: “As a council, we have to ensure that all the buildings we own, including Kettering Library, are maintained and will stand the test of time.

“Although the plants may aesthetically add to the character of the building, they are damaging the wider building. We also must consider the long-term costs of maintaining the vegetation.

“With all this in mind and having consulted with specialists, the decision has been taken to remove the vegetation.”