The council is announcing plans to relocate the library to 6-8 Colliers Walk, previously occupied by HSBC bank, and keep the facility in the city centre. The move is scheduled to take place before next summer.
The move is part of the council’s strategy to have modern and accessible libraries where people can go to take advantage of a range of services. This includes:
- providing free computer access, internet and digital support
- organizing community support and counseling sessions
- offering activities for families and people of all ages
- providing access to over 2.5 million items through the LibrariesWest consortium.
The existing 50-year-old building in Somerset Square is beyond the end of its life. It is in poor condition and in need of roof repair due to regular flooding, and is very energy inefficient. It also does not meet modern accessibility standards.
Moving the library will:
- meet accessibility standards
- significantly extend library opening hours on a self-service basis
- provide a meeting space to give additional community access
- enable an increased range of events and activities to take place using the space more flexibly
- save energy
- be more cost-effective to run, increasingly important as council services operate under increasing financial pressures.
Councilor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s executive member for neighborhoods and community services, said: “We are committed to continuing to provide a library in a prominent, highly visible location in the heart of the town centre.
“Nailsea Library is a high performing library but its current site is no longer fit for purpose for a number of reasons. It suffers from a number of problems and would be extremely expensive to repair and make accessible Any financial investment would be better used in a different, more energy efficient building.
“It is vital that we have a library in Nailsea that is fit for the future. By moving it to its new home in Colliers Walk, we will secure the long-term future of this very popular local library.”
The relocation of the library, which is subject to planning and owner consent, is supported by Nailsea Borough Council.
North Somerset Council is investigating options for the future of the current library site as part of Nailsea’s evolving placemaking strategy, prepared with local stakeholders. She is working with the surrounding land owners and the city council.
The council’s library strategy for 2021-31 is available on its website at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/librariesstrategy. Keep up with the latest news about Nailsea Library at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/nailsealibrary or on Facebook (facebook.com/nslibraries), twitter (twitter.com/NSomLibraries) and Instagram (instagram.com/northsomersetlibraries).
