By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham City Council has finally approved £10.5 million to fit out the new Central Library built as part of the Broadmarsh car park development.
Residents have been left without a main city library since March 2020 after the council decided to close the Angel Row facility during pandemic restrictions.
It decided not to re-open it, pending completion of the new multi-million-pound main city library in the Broadmarsh car park development.
The building itself was completed but the council had to find around £10m of investment to fit it out.
The thousands of books and records from Angel Row are currently being stored at an industrial unit two miles from the city centre, which is not open to the public.
The Angel Row facility is also being sold off.
On Tuesday, May 24, Nottingham City Council’s Executive Board announced the long-awaited £10.5m fit out of the city’s new Central Library, meaning it will be ready to open next summer.
The council says that “careful management of the city’s property portfolio and successful sales” have made the fit-out affordable.
David Mellen (Lab), leader of the council, said the new library would “help to breathe new life into the area”.
The new city centre library, spread over three floors, will feature a children’s library, an extensive book collection, free access to computers, laptops and iPads, meeting rooms and a learning lab for school visits.
There will also be a cafe and ground floor reception area which can be converted into a performance space.
Cllr Mellen told councillors at the Executive Board meeting: “This announcement is later than we would have wanted to make, but we are in a situation where we will not commit to capital expenditure until that money is secured.
“Because we have had a successful asset sale programme, which has brought in money, we can now commence the fit-out of Central Library which has already been built, which is currently a shell.
“But to make it into a library it needs flooring, lifts put in, electrics, and plumbing – to make it a wonderful library.
“Today is a step forward to something we promised the people of Nottingham and we do everything we can to keep our promises to our citizens.”
Cllr Cheryl Barnard (Lab) added: “This will be a chance for children and young people to improve their literacy skills and there is going to be an interactive storytelling room. It will be a nice place for children to spend time and get that love for books and the written word.”
Concerns have been raised that the new fit-out of Central Library is happening at a time when other libraries are at risk.
The authority has proposed closing Radford/Lenton Library, Basford Library and Aspley Library to claw back £233,000.
Around 2,000 people signed a petition against the plans. A decision on which, if any, will close is due shortly following the results of a public consultation.
Stewart Halforty, who is part of the campaign group, Save Nottingham Libraries Campaign, said: “We are horrified that the council can find more than £10 million for a new library when for a tiny fraction of that they can keep open three beautiful libraries in some of the most deprived parts of Nottingham.
“We need a Central Library, and we are over the moon that it will finally be opening.
“But parents don’t want to drag children into a city centre of an evening and park in an expensive car park, they want to take them somewhere a short stroll from their house.
“The council are denying the residents the ability to go to a library within walking distance.”
