Failing tiles on steps leading to a new library and supermarket in Nottingham have prompted a call for a health and safety investigation.
Work was carried out on steps outside Sherwood Library and a Sainsbury’s store in Spondon Street in February, after tiles began to crack and break away.
The problem has since been fixed, however a resident is calling for further investigation into the safety of the site.
Des Conway, resident of Sherwood and libraries campaigner, described the paving as “dangerous”.
He put a question to Full Council on Monday (March 3), which said: “Nottingham City Council recently arranged for builders to carry out some essential repairs on damaged tiles, on the steps leading up to Sainsbury’s Local on the Spondon Street, Mansfield Road site in Sherwood.
“These tiles are totally inadequate, and in the event of wintry conditions or heavy rain, are an accident waiting to happen.
“Could I ask the Executive Member for Carbon Reduction, Leisure and Culture (including libraries), to request an urgent health and safety investigation into the external tiling used on the Spondon Street site, and to seek redress from the contractors in order to make the site safe for shoppers and future library users?”
Responding Cllr Sam Lux (Lab), the executive member in charge, said: “Firstly we need to clarify the council does not have responsibility for maintenance and safety of the site, that responsibility lies with the owner and or landlord.
“That being said we do share the citizen’s concerns and want to see this matter resolved as quickly as possible. There has recently been a comparable issue with the steps outside of the site.
“As soon as that was brought to our safety enforcement teams’ attention, and raised that with Sainsbury’s, that was rectified very quickly. We are hoping that similarly in this case we can exert as much influence as we can to see this matter resolved.”
The opening of the new library in Spondon Street, which has been plagued by issues, has now been delayed to summer this year.
It was delayed beyond a planned summer opening in 2024, following the discovery of more than 130 defects.
Problems included issues with the living wall, fire safety and a leak in the building’s atrium.
The council said in January the defects had been rectified and the final fit-out would soon be starting ahead of the summer opening.
In 2020 a plan was drawn up by the council to sell the site to local developer Hockley Developments, with an agreement that the library would be built at no capital cost to the authority, and that a 125-year lease would be agreed at a nominal rent.
While Sainsbury’s is now open in the commercial space, the library’s doors have remain closed due to a raft of problems.
