Hereford's new library could be housed at Grade II* listed Shirehall

The council-owned Shirehall houses two courtrooms and a custody suite as well as the Assembly Hall music venue

Hereford's new library could be housed at the city's Grade II* listed Shirehall.

Herefordshire Council's cabinet voted last month to halt the planned new library in the Maylord shopping centre while it reviewed other options.

Moving the facility to Shirehall was recommended as the preferred option as it would revitalise a noted building, the authority said.

It has been largely out of use since 2020 when a roof partly collapsed.

The current library on Broad Street is being vacated as part of plans to redevelop the building into a new museum and exhibition space.

A new temporary library will open on Friars Street from 18 July.

'Historic centre'

Following the vote last month, the council said Shirehall and Maylord were "the two locations being more fully considered" in the review.

The option to have the library within Shirehall would "support the planned investment in promoting Hereford as a prominent cultural and historic centre," the authority said.

The council-owned building on St Peter's Square houses two courtrooms and a custody suite as well as the Assembly Hall music venue.

Last November the previous council administration agreed to pause work on bringing the building back into use due to the cost, then put at £7.5m.

The library options are set to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 20 July, with the final review of candidate sites due to be published beforehand.