Decision on future of Carnegie library 'not unfair'

Members of The Margery Kempe Trust travelled to the High Court to ask for the Carnegie building decision to be reviewed

A judge has ruled that a council decision on the future of a historic building was fair.

The Margery Kempe Trust (TMKT), a writing and storytelling community group, challenged a Norfolk County Council decision to sell the Carnegie Library building in King's Lynn to a performing arts group.

But the High Court concluded there was "nothing to support the argument that the process itself was unfair".

The council said it welcomed the judgement - while the TMKT maintained that the public consultation into the building's future was inadequate.

The building was given to the people of King's Lynn in 1905 by Andrew Carnegie - the Scottish-US businessman and philanthropist

In January, the county council agreed to sell the building, on London Road, to The Garage Trust (TGT) which offered a range of performing arts opportunities.

The council sold the building under a provision in the Local Government Act which allows authorities to sell or lease property to community groups for below market value.

It is understood the fee agreed was £95,000.

A replacement library and community hub is currently being built in the town as part of a regeneration project funded by the government and Norfolk County Council.

'Detailed consideration'

TMKT also submitted an application to take on the Carnegie building - but was not successful.

Its legal challenge raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the process that resulted in the Grade II listed building being awarded to the TGT, which is based in Norwich but operates across Norfolk.

The court judgement said: "There was no 'VIP track' outside the formal process and there was not, as the Trust have contended for, a longstanding unfair relationship or general unfairness."

A council spokesperson added: "We now look forward to working closely with The Garage Trust to see the Carnegie building brought to life in a new way, that honours its legacy and benefits the people of King's Lynn."

TMKT said they had received a lot of support from the local community.

"We appreciate the detailed consideration the judge gave to our case, especially her acknowledgement that we weren't a disgruntled, unsuccessful bidder, and that there was much more to our challenge than that," a spokesperson for the group said.

TMKT said it would continue its work "celebrating the lives and stories of King's Lynn".

The new library is due to open in February 2026 with the Carnegie building handed over to TGT once the move is complete.