A Labour councillor has set up a petition calling on Nottingham City Council to open the problem-plagued Sherwood Library by July this year.
In 2017 the old library was deemed not fit for purpose and a consultation was held to find out what people wanted from the new facility.
The authority later sold the site to local developer Hockley Developments; with an agreement a new library would be built at no capital cost to the authority, and that a 125-year lease would be agreed at a nominal rent.
However, the opening of the new library in Spondon Street was delayed beyond a planned 2023 opening after a contractor involved in its construction went bust.
A summer 2024 opening was then missed upon the discovery of over 100 defects with the building, prompting concerns from residents and campaigners over a lack of accountability from the developer and council.
Cllr Adele Williams (Lab), who represents the Sherwood ward, has now set up a petition calling on the ruling Labour Group to commit to a concrete opening date.
She said the petition would be used to advocate for getting the library open by July 15.
The petition will be presented to the council’s leadership at Full Council on Monday, May 12.
It says: “We the undersigned are deeply concerned about the ongoing delays to the opening of Sherwood Library.
“The library was due to open in 2023 and we are petitioning Nottingham City Council to facilitate and publicise a firm opening date on or before July 15 to allow Sherwood families to take part in activities like the Summer Reading Challenge and the wider community to enjoy the benefits of our new local library.
“Regardless whether the delays are caused by the original developer, we petition [the council] to meet this deadline and deal with any outstanding issues with pragmatism and pace, taking appropriate operational and legal steps to enable this long delayed opening.
“Outstanding developer obligations should be pursued by legal means and Nottingham people informed of those actions and progress.”
Libraries campaigner and Sherwood resident, Des Conway, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he “tentatively welcomes her late arrival and her petition”.
Mr Conway submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the council, and a response published in April reveals there are still more than 60 snagging issues preventing the final fit-out of the library.
These include the installation of new entrance doors, replacement of plants on the living wall and confirmation of a working irrigation system, and repairs to ceiling tiles which have been damaged by a leaking roof.
The council was contacted regarding the petition, but said it had nothing further to add.
A council spokeswoman previously said: “We are continuing to engage with Hockley Developments, who are responsible for carrying out the outstanding work, ahead of the reopening the library.
“We remain disappointed that after previous assurances, we are still awaiting confirmation of key dates from them for when these works will take place before we programme in the final fit-out work required to reopen the library.
“We understand how important this facility is to the local community and are committed to opening it as soon as possible, subject to this essential work taking place.”
A spokesperson for Hockley Developments added: “Hockley Developments (Mansfield Road) Ltd handed over the ground floor to Sainsbury’s and the second floor to residential owners successfully in December 2023, and the first floor was handed to Nottingham City council at the same date.
“The council preferred to do their own fit out – in hindsight it may have been better if Hockley Developments (Mansfield Road) Ltd had fitted out the first floor as well as the other floors, and this floor could therefore have been occupied at the same time as the other floors.
“Dialogue continues with the council, and assistance is still being given and hopefully Sherwood will see the first floor to this building being occupied as soon as possible, joining the other owners and tenants that have been enjoying the building for the last year.”
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