The former Burley Library building has been sold by the council to a private developer.
The building, which dates back to 1926, closed in February due to ‘health and safety reasons’.
An adjacent business owner – not named in the report due to financial confidentiality reasons – has now taken over the building.
A residential development is currently being built next to the site. The council closed the building which is now let on a short-term commercial basis to the
proposed purchaser as a works office in connection with the development.
A report by council officers justifying the sale said:
“The library is dated and in a poor condition. Maintenance costs including those associated with bringing the fire alarm system back into use are considered prohibitive by library services. A fire evacuation door is also blocked.”
“…A sale on the open market for re-use of the existing building or for redevelopment in isolation is unlikely to optimise on the use of the site in ither development capacity or value terms.”
The report says local Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward councillors have been contacted and are in favour of the sale.
A fugure for the sale is not revealed for financial confidentiality reasons.
Read the council reports here.