Potential TWO YEAR closure for Kettering Library as council receives 'eye-watering' quote for work

Costs to replace Kettering’s library’s leaking and caved-in roof will be an ‘eye-watering’ amount, with the project to replace a heritage roof yet to begin.

At last night’s full council meeting of North Northants Council (NNC) Cllr Helen Howell (Con, Raunds), NNC’s executive member for leisure and culture said she had seen the ‘eye-watering’ quotes for a watertight, heritage-approved ‘tent’ and it would be at a huge cost to the council.

Cllr Howell said it was ‘extremely disappointing’ that the building was out of action, pointing out the bad state of repair of the building and that the Cornerstone project had been inherited by NNC.

She said: “We have had designs for one year of tenting but one year isn’t long enough. We’ve had to go back for further quotes. We have been pushing this project as fast as possible.

"I will tell you now this is going to be an eye-watering cost to this council. I’ve seen the projected figures and it is eye watering. We cannot make a snap decision, we have to do it properly.”

Councillors urged the executive to take action following the closure of the library after torrential rain poured through the damaged Collyweston roof causing parts of the ceiling to cave in, but a date to reopen the building was removed from a motion.

Cllr Anne Lee (Lab, Windmill), said: “We learned that the cost of the tenting alone will be £2 million - because the tenting will need to remain in place for two years.“Apparently the overall cost of the repair will be 'eye watering'.

"It is no longer the case that once the tenting is in place, the spaces can reopen. There is so much damage inside now that it will take longer. I am still taking it all in.”

Kettering’s opposition Labour councillors’ motion for the library and art gallery roof to be repaired and for the art gallery to be reopened in the summer of 2024 was defeated with wording changed to read that the art gallery will reopen 'as soon as possible'.

Meanwhile an alternative temporary venue for the library is being sought within the town centre.

Cllr Lee said: “All this could have been avoided by acting sooner. I’m absolutely in despair – I’m pulling my hair out! Sadly, the 120th anniversary of the library building will be celebrated with the library out of action.”

"The executive is kicking the can down the road. The stakes are getting higher – the leaking roof over this one building has taken out two public functions out of action. With library being closed you would have thought that the plans would be expedited, but no the plans are delayed even further to the point that this Grade II-listed building is becoming so waterlogged that future repairs will become increasingly expensive.

"All we’re asking is get the wrapping sorted, install the tenting that has already be designed and once that is in place the building is functional again.”

Before the move to a unitary council in April 2021, £300,000 had been raised in section 106 money by Kettering Borough Council from Hanwood Park and allocated for repairs to the library roof which members asked to be used as a start.Designs have been procured for the tenting of the building that have been estimated will take between six and nine months to install.

The 1904 library and connected 1913 art gallery – Grade II listed buildings – will need to be wrapped by a specialist team using the correct tenting technique to ensure the building works do not cause irreparable damage. The project will need to be overseen by a conservation architect and surveyor.