Cost of new town library increases by £2.2m

Norfolk County Council had hoped the library would open for this autumn

The cost of a new library has risen by more than £2m to account for groundworks surrounding the building.

Norfolk County Council said the cost of the facility in King's Lynn had increased from £15.1m to £17.3m because of "essential external street works" such as drainage.

The opening has been delayed from this autumn, to February, although the building itself is still on track to be finished by Christmas.

The new building will have a dedicated children's and young people's library, as well an adult learning centre and space for the town's historical documents.

"We've got to accommodate some extra essential works outside of the building ahead of the opening," said Conservative Jane James, who is the council's cabinet member responsible for corporate services and innovation.

"That's really boring, really dull things that nobody's really going to see or appreciate like drainage, ground levelling and utility upgrades."

She continued: "Frankly as far as I'm concerned, the people of King's Lynn deserve the best and I would rather delay it and get it right first time."

The library is due to be relocated from its existing home at Carnegie Library in London Road, a few weeks before the reopening in the town centre.

Norfolk arts organisation The Garage has been awarded the contract to use the Carnegie Library building for a range of community activities.

That decision by Norfolk County Council is being challenged in the courts by The Margery Kempe Trust which made its own application to take on the building.