Library moved to another temporary location

Members of the public met outside Folkestone Library in 2023 to protest against its closure

Library services in a Kent town are being moved to another temporary location as a council continues its search for a permanent site.

Folkestone Library was forced to leave Grace Hill in December 2022 after the condition of the building sparked safety concerns.

Services are now based at Shepway Youth Centre but will move to Sandgate Road by the spring if a change of use planning application is approved, Kent County Council said.

Paul Webb, cabinet member for community and regulatory services, said the site in Sandgate Road offered a "better temporary solution" until the authority could decide on a permanent location.

The temporary site will have the library's full stock, archives, a service to register births and deaths and activities, the council said.

Organisations and businesses are being asked to submit their thoughts on the Grace Hill site, with the council stating it would consider renting back the space for library services.

Other locations around Folkestone are also being considered.

The deadline for proposals for permanent sites is 31 October.

'Shifting government priorities'

Over the summer, Folkestone Adult Education Centre left its home at The Cube and Cube Ceramics, in Tontine Street, and moved permanently to Sandgate Road.

Courses will resume in the spring. But in the meantime, they will be held in various places around the town, including Wood Avenue library and the F51 skate park, the council said.

Beverley Fordham, cabinet member for education and skills, said the move was down to "shifting government priorities for adult skills funding".

She added: "It has also given us the chance to modernise our service.

"We can focus on helping residents build the skills they need to get into work and improve their lives from the convenience of a building in a central and accessible location in the heart of the town centre."