Village library site sold as council seeks savings

The 1970s Calverley Library building will be sold off and services moved elsewhere to save money

A village library building will be sold off after the service is relocated to save money, according to council plans.

Leeds City Council will put Calverley Library in Thornhill Street up for sale by public auction by April 2026, and the site could then be redeveloped.

Library services provided at the site, which was built in 1973, are set to move to Calverley Mechanics Institute.

A council report said the sale would raise cash for the authority, which needed to make more than £100m in savings this financial year.

The report stated that the site, which is in the centre of an established residential area, would be likely to attract a number of buyers.

More than £200,000 was being invested in a refurbishment of the nearby Mechanics building to make the relocation possible, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Leeds City Council said it was liable for maintenance costs while the current building was still in use, so it proposed selling the building before the end of the financial year.

The council said it held a detailed public consultation on the future of the library service.

The report stated that a mobile library service would be available while the library resources are relocated to "ensure continuity of service and minimise any downtime".

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