Sherwood Library could open in early 2026 at the latest according to the leader of Nottingham City Council after confirming work to fix a number of defects has restarted.
Based in Spondon Street, the old library was deemed not fit for purpose in 2017, and the council later sold the site to a local developer, Hockley Developments, to build a new one.
Problems with the development first became apparent after a previous contractor, Nottingham-based Dako Construction, collapsed into administration at the beginning of 2023.
The library building was then handed back to the council at the end of 2023 for the final fit-out – but its opening has been delayed ever since.
A summer opening last year was missed following the discovery of a raft of problems with the building, and a “tug-of-war game” between the developer and the council over who was responsible for rectifying them has caused further delays.
Council leader Councillor Neghat Khan says she hopes the library will open later this year or early 2026 at the latest.
While no specific date has been set, she said Hockley Developments and the council were now working together to rectify the problems.
Cllr Khan said:
“We’ve got some work we have commissioned being done, but also Hockley Developments are on site as well. That’s what we wanted to get to.
“We’ve made it very clear we cannot be in this situation where we have faults or broken promises. If they don’t do it, like I said we will do it and we will get into a legal battle, but for both of us we can just save ourselves time and get it done.
“It is not big issues that need resolving. It is just not safe to open it. I’ve been very clear I want this library to open as soon as it is safe to do so.
“I’m having conversations with officers and saying; ‘can it be before Christmas or will it be after?’ It is just the little things that we need to tweak up, ordering some materials in to be able to finish that. I am having weekly updates about the progress on Sherwood Library.
“I have told officers by the next full council I need a date, feedback on the consultation, but also give a date we are going to open.”
A spokesperson for Hockley Developments added: “We can confirm Hockley Developments, the city council, the landlord, and various sub contractors have worked positively over the last eight weeks with the common goal of this library opening imminently.”
A six-week public engagement on temporary library arrangements for Sherwood has now closed, with more than 1,100 residents sharing their views.
Responses will now be carefully reviewed and will help inform decisions on the next steps for library provision in Sherwood, the council says.
Libraries campaigner Des Conway said: “It’s obviously good news that Neghat Khan went on record to say that the snags and defects – which have been unearthed by several FOIs – are now being remedied; and that Sherwood Library will open either later this year, or early in 2026.
“There is no getting away from the fact that this back and forth blame game between the two warring parties had become a complete embarrassment, especially for the city council, and I hope that no further council contracts are awarded to Hockley Developments or any of its subsidiary companies.
“And why did it take so long to get builders inside the facility after Hockley Developments apparently re-engaged with the council back in July?”
He said there are still unanswered questions surrounding why the contract was originally handed to Hockley Developments, and what due diligence took place beforehand.
Rebi Gilby, who is looking to set up a Friends of Sherwood Library Group and has helped arrange a number of demonstrations outside the facility, added: “This is such welcome news.
“As we’ve already demonstrated, Sherwood Library is hugely missed and it’s such a valuable space and resource for our community.”