The Library roof replacement project has moved into the next phase. Planning permission and listed building consent have been granted to replace the Grade 2 listed library and art gallery roof on Cornerstone in Kettering.
Whilst the applications have been going through the planning process, North Northamptonshire Council has also been going through a full tender process for the works through the Gov.uk contract finder.
Now that permissions have been granted, approval is being sought from Natural England to confirm that our bat protection measures are appropriate.
A contractor is expected to be appointed in early 2025 and physical work will be able to begin on site, using the Collyweston slate that has been agreed (following discussions with conservation experts and advice from Historic England) will be used on the roof.
As well as the launch of this website, a video on the project was recently published which takes viewers behind the scenes of the project including a look at the slate mining process and interviews with members of the team.
Cllr Helen Howell, the council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said:
“This is a huge milestone for the roof replacement project, now we have the correct planning permission in place, which met the qualifying criteria to be granted under the Council’s scheme of delegation. This means that once a contractor has been appointed through a thorough and compliant tender process, physical work can start on site as soon as possible. With the contractor appointed, we will work with them to produce a full timeline for the works and residents can be assured that that timeline will be published, once it is agreed.
“In the meantime, we remain committed to being as transparent as possible and, as I have said previously, we are going through a full procurement exercise to ensure that the most suitable contractor completes the work for well within the budget we have set aside – a budget which is very much a worst-case scenario and includes a 20% contingency.”
Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, added:
“Cornerstone is an extremely complex project and we remain committed to ensuring the building is maintained and fit for purpose for future generations. We continue to work as quickly as possible so the site can re-open and the planning application being approved is a great leap forward for the project.”
Within the initial project plans were proposals to tent the building to help keep the building watertight before works could start. A revised approach is now being taken, with temporary repairs having taken place where there were leaks and the roof is being monitored with further repairs being undertaken where necessary. This approach will result in a significant cost saving in the overall project budget. The tent will be necessary once roofing works begin and tiles start to be removed.
Due to the works and scaffolding that will be required internally to ensure the safety of all concerned, the library services will continue to be temporarily relocated into the upper floor of the modern extension of Cornerstone for the foreseeable future. The library team are offering a full range of services and group activities, whilst the Cornerstone team are continuing to run a range of outreach activities across Kettering with details and information available on the Cornerstone website and social media channels.
A video with more details about the project is available to watch online.
The planning decision notices for the works can be found on the council’s planning portal under application numbers NK/2024/0376 and NK/2024/0377.