‘No way’ that historic library will be turned into flats, key councillor promises

A key councillor has promised that Lynn’s historic Carnegie library will not be put up for sale on his watch.Cllr Simon Ring, the deputy leader of West Norfolk Council, has defiantly said: “There is no way that this council will ever see this building become apartments, flats, or that building going into a derelict condition.”He has moved to ease residents’ fears after Norfolk County Council said that if a suitable group or individual is not found to take over the premises, they will be put on the open market.

An application process is currently open which allows community groups to put in bids to take on the building, which was opened in 1905 after being gifted to the town by Andrew Carnegie.Interviews with shortlisted applicants are expected to take place in late November or early December, with a decision made in January next year.Cllr Ring told the Lynn News that he believes there are at least five or six “quality applications” being considered, with up to 12 being looked at.

He has also revealed that the borough council has asked County Hall for a deal to be struck which means if any community group takes on the Carnegie and fails, the West Norfolk authority will have the option to take on the building immediately after. This would prevent it being sold on the open market, with the county council having deemed the library “surplus to requirements” in recent documents.“That isn’t to say that we will buy it or we will have it, but it gives us an option,” Cllr Ring said. A ‘PHENOMENAL’ NEW FACILITY

He has played up the prospects on offer when the new Multi-User Community Hub opens up in the former Argos building on New Conduit Street next year.The multi-million pound project will see the library services re-housed in the hub, joining meeting places for groups and community organisations, workspaces, and adult learning facilities.It will provide an upgrade on the Carnegie in terms of location, disabled facilities, books, technology and space, according to Cllr Ring.

“The idea that the Carnegie can stay as a library that is delivering modern library needs is farcical,” he added. “It simply doesn’t work.”He says the new facilities in the town centre will be “phenomenal”, being housed over three floors.“It will be in the middle of the town, which will create a much better opportunity for new people to visit because of the central nature,” Cllr Ring said.“Anyone who works in the library will tell you they feel out on a limb.” ‘THREE MYTHS’Meanwhile, the borough council deputy leader also wants to dispel what he calls “three myths” which he frequently hears people discuss about the Carnegie.The first of these, he suggests, is that Andrew Carnegie – who funded its construction in the early 1900s – chose Lynn specifically to build a library.“The reality is he wanted to support education around the world, and he built a lot of libraries,” Cllr Ring said. “King’s Lynn wasn’t special to him.”The second myth he hears is that there are still 660 working Carnegie libraries in the UK.In fact, there were 660 built, although many of these now have other functions – such as museums, art galleries, creative workshops, boxing clubs, theatres and dance studios.The third is that the county council purchased the building from the borough council for just £1. The change in ownership actually occurred when new legislation placed county councils in charge of both library facilities and the buildings they are housed in.LOOKING TO THE FUTURE“We are hopeful that someone will come along,” Cllr Ring said.He added that he hopes the county council will take the borough council up on its offer to work together on finding a community group for the Carnegie. This is “so it is being done with us, and not to us”.The successful bidder will be expected to provide evidence of a sound five-year plan for when they take on the facilities, which have been valued at £95,000.Those wishing to lease the building would expected to pay around £15,000 per year.