Nottingham's delayed £10m library officially opens

Nottingham Central Library has more than 180,000 books and reading materials

A £10m library featuring a café, conference rooms, an immersive cinema room and more than 180,000 books has opened in Nottingham.

The three-storey Nottingham Central Library on Collin Street also has 58 computers and free Wi-Fi.

The library was originally due to open in 2021.

The city has been without a central library for more than three years following the permanent closure of the old Angel Row library in 2020.

Children from three city schools were invited to the opening, hosted by Nottingham City Council, on Tuesday.

They got to listen to a story read by David Mellen, leader of the council.

Mr Mellen told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We have been waiting a long time for this.

"We have got some grants to help pay for it.

"We had to borrow some money and the money people are paying for the car park is helping us to pay back that borrowing.

"Obviously it is an investment and it is one that costs money in terms of staff, but I think it is a good investment for our city."

In January, three city libraries were narrowly saved from cuts following a successful campaign from the Save Nottingham Libraries group.

The council is facing an in-year budget gap of £23m and the possibility of effective bankruptcy.

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