Kettering Library roof scaffolding takes shape as contractors begin £6.8m budget repair

Scaffolding is taking shape around the Grade II-listed complex for the project expected to take until the first week of August 2026.

A timeline published by North Northants Council has estimated scaffolding erection work 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 until June 2026.

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

The Cornerstone complex comprising Kettering Library and the Alfred East Art Gallery needs major repairs to its roofs that became apparent after the addition of a £4.5m extension.

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