Community Groups Invited To Take Over Former Ulverston Library Building
Community groups in Ulverston are being invited to consider taking over the town’s former library building and developing it into a new community facility.
Westmorland and Furness Council has declared the building on Kings Road surplus to its operational requirements and is now exploring the possibility of transferring it to a community organisation. The move could give a local group the opportunity to secure a long term lease and establish a new use for the property. Any proposal would need to demonstrate that the organisation could operate the building sustainably as a community hub or similar project.
The former library played an important role in Ulverston for more than six decades before it closed in September 2023. Electrical faults were discovered at the building, resulting in the library service being moved to Coronation Hall. The closure had attracted significant concern locally, with residents and public representatives expressing disappointment about the loss of the long established facility.
The future of the building has remained an issue since the closure, particularly because of the scale of work required before it could return to use. A council report produced in 2024 estimated that around £1.85 million would be required to make the building safe to occupy and refurbish it to a standard comparable with other local libraries. The report also highlighted a significant degree of uncertainty surrounding the cost and work involved.
Despite those challenges, the building has continued to have significance for the local community. Its previous role extended beyond providing access to books and library services, and it had been used as an important public facility for generations of residents. The council has therefore indicated that a community led future could provide an opportunity to give the building a new purpose.
The authority formally confirmed that the property was no longer required for operational use during a cabinet meeting held on September 8. The decision means the council can now explore options for transferring responsibility for the building to an organisation outside the council’s direct operational structure.
A community asset transfer is a process through which a publicly owned building can be transferred to an organisation at less than its market value or potentially at no cost. Such arrangements are intended to allow community organisations to take responsibility for assets that can provide continuing local value.
For Ulverston groups interested in the property, the opportunity could provide a route towards securing a long term lease. However, any organisation considering an application would need to develop a financially sustainable plan showing how the building could operate and support the community.
Councillor Helen Chaffey, the council’s cabinet member for communities, customer services, culture and communications, acknowledged the importance of the former library to local people. She said the building had represented more than simply a library and recognised the strong connection many residents continued to have with the site.
The council member also invited community organisations to submit expressions of interest as the authority considers a potential community asset transfer. The invitation is intended to encourage local groups to consider whether they could develop a viable project capable of giving the building a sustainable future.
Any future community project would need to take account of the condition of the property and the substantial investment previously identified as potentially necessary. The financial viability of a proposal would therefore be an important consideration before any long term arrangement could be established.
The opportunity comes after a period of uncertainty surrounding the building and its role in the town. With library services now operating from Coronation Hall, the council has determined that the former Kings Road premises are not required for its existing operational needs.
The proposed transfer could allow the building to remain in community use rather than leaving it without a defined operational purpose. A successful proposal could also provide an organisation with the opportunity to shape a new service or facility around local needs.
The council’s invitation provides an opening for community organisations to put forward ideas for the future of the property. Groups with suitable plans and sustainable finances can now consider whether the former library could become a wider community hub serving residents in Ulverston.
The next stage will depend on the level and quality of interest from local organisations and whether viable proposals can be developed. Any eventual arrangement would need to provide a sustainable use for the building while recognising the practical challenges associated with bringing the former library back into productive use.
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