Proposed floor plans for the relocated library building in Calverley are being displayed for users to comment on.
As reported last week, plans to transform Calverley Mechanics’ Institute into a new library have been approved. Council chiefs have drawn up a £200,000 scheme to relocate the library from its current Thornhill Street base in a bid to save money.
Proposed new floor plans are now on display in the library for people to comment on, and discussions are ongoing with other groups that use the space, including the local history group.
Councillor Peter Carlill (Lab, Calverley & Farsley) said: “Proposals for what will become of the existing building are still to be worked through by the asset management team, and we’ll be making sure to be involved in those discussions.”
The relocation will include upgraded accessible toilets and redecoration of the library areas to provide a safe and welcoming environment.
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In my opinion, the plans displayed by Leeds City Council do not give enough information about the proposed new library space to enable proper consultation. The plans on display for the ground floor only show the furniture supplier’s proposal for the layout of library shelving and a couple of tables and chairs. The plans for the first floor (currently the floor with the stage) only show a seating layout (again provided by a furniture supplier). It would be useful to see plans that describe more than a furniture layout. For example will library standard lighting be installed? Are windows in the library area being replaced (the shelving shown on the plan cover the existing windows)? When will the lift to the first floor be repaired? Which areas are being redecorated? Also, the Council should look at refurbishing the whole building not just the area where the library is being relocated. I know the Council are in the red and need to sell off assets and in Calverley we are lucky to be keeping a library when they sell of the current building. But please make better use of the Mechanics Institute by doing a proper job on the whole building. The ground floor layout could be reworked (maybe knock down some walls) to provide more library space with storage and better toilets. The first floor is desperately in need of refurbishment. It will not bring any new users to that area in its present dilapidated state. It will cost money doing a proper job but they could reinvest the money from the sale of the existing library building to create more attractive, useable community space in the Mechanics Institute.