Excitement is building for the opening of one of Lynn’s biggest projects – but the wait will be a bit longer than expected.
The completion date for Lynn’s new library has shifted once again, with doors expected to open before Christmas.
The library is taking shape behind the scenes, with the project moving into the “fitting out period”.
Cosmetics and joineries are now being installed in the former 1970s Argos building, which is unrecognisable from its previous look.
The exact opening date will be shared nearer the time. It was previously expected that the library would open in the autumn.
Work is being carried out by Norfolk County Council alongside construction company Mace.
The Lynn News was invited to take a look at how work has been progressing on the new library, which will offer an array of services in the heart of the town centre…
A guided tour showed that significant building works have already been completed.
A corner of the building has been sliced off, revealing a better view of Lynn’s Majestic Cinema when walking up to it from the Vancouver Quarter direction.
Andy Sage, social value manager at Mace, explained that doing this as part of the new library project could bring more footfall to Tower Street.
He said: “We are hoping that Tower Street will benefit from the added footfall which will come from the library.
“It helps make that street become more sustainable. It is a challenging street, but it means that if people are coming here, they may have a bit of time on their hands and visit some of the businesses down the road.”
Located in the former Argos building, the project will transform the space and bring together a wide range of services across three floors.
The project was previously described as a “multi-use community hub”, but it is now being referred to as the “new library”.
Floor plans shown to the Lynn News reveal that both a children’s and a young people’s library will be situated on the ground floor, along with a book collection point and meeting rooms.
Heading upstairs, the first floor will have study places and a range of seating areas, as well as historic book collections which are currently hidden away at the Carnegie.
The second floor will have a large space, which is designated for adult learning, as well as a training kitchen and art room.
The library will offer visitors access to spaces for all ages alongside adult learning courses, business support, community services, and flexible spaces for events and workshops.
The project has a budget of £15.1million and is funded by the county council and the UK Government.
WHY HAS THE OPENING DATE BEEN PUSHED BACK?
The Lynn News was told that, despite restrictions long having come to an end, the Covid pandemic of 2020 is one of the reasons for the delay in opening.
The pandemic has meant that getting building materials has been a challenge.
Hannah Edge, head of community and customer services at Norfolk County Council, said: “We also needed to think about when is the best time for the library service to move over.
“We need to think about what events they have on and give a bit of downtime to bring things across.
“You have to think about what is going on behind the scenes, from access cards, if doors open in the right direction. All those kinds of things take time when you open a new building because you are balancing the public space with the behind the scenes and everything we need in terms of storage and boring stuff such as bin collections.“
Plans for the library, which is expected to last for more than 100 years, have been shaped through public consultations, as well as looking at previous projects such as the newly built library in Great Yarmouth.
Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, said: “I think we will get the same sort of reaction as Great Yarmouth library. People have been blown away by it.
“I can see that this is going to be a great place to meet friends, for little children and those wanting a bit of quiet time. The adult learning courses that can be held here are also great.”
The library will be open to many community groups and charities.
Lynn’s College of West Anglia is excited to get on board.
Kerry Heathcote, deputy chief executive at the college, said: “Together with the council, we are curriculum planning, so what we want is for the person to be catered for and inspired.
“It is not about the provider, it is about the person.
“Everyone who walks in here, if they have a learning aspiration, we are going to collaborate and fulfil it to inspire everybody in Lynn and the surrounding areas to access a really inclusive building and hopefully go on lifelong learning journeys.
“That is the idea. It is all very exciting.”
Jeannine de Sousa, assistant director in construction, FM and county farms at the county council, added: “We wanted the building to have its own identity.
“The brief we had initially, especially from the borough council, was that it should not look like the Argos building. We wanted to be sensitive with the design. We wanted the upper part to be modern, but not too modern.”
However, the team explained that there have been some challenges along the way.
Getting the acoustics right in the new library, as well as the building’s low ceiling heights, has proven to be difficult.
However, the building has been designed to stand the test of time. It has been described as “massively insulated” and will be efficient to run.
Solar panels and greenery will be located on the library’s roof.
The current Carnegie library on London Road is set to be retained for community use, with The Workshop, run by the Garage Trust, due to take over the space.
The charity has a long-established presence in Lynn, offering a wide range of music, theatre, and dance classes and community activities.
The library in the Carnegie building will be open until the new site is ready. There will be a short period between the current library closing and the new one opening to allow time for the service to move across.
During that period, library loans will be extended and regular groups will be held in alternative locations where possible.
