A NEW CHAPTER IS BEING RE-WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF GRANT THOROLD LIBRARY: CHAPTER TWO “THUMBS UP”

A new chapter will begin for book borrowers with the construction of a £2-million library at Grant Thorold Park.

North East Lincolnshire Council planners have approved a revised plan for the new library, at the junction of Humberston Road and Durban Road.

It will replace the existing 40-year-old library at the junction of Durban Road and Roberts Street, described as “dilapidated” and which is subsiding.

But it has continued to attract more visitors and is the third busiest in the borough.

Council planners heard the number of visitors was increasing at six per cent per year, with 79,000 visitors last year.

Revised plans included more CCTV cameras and increased car parking and access to the site.
Councillor Steve Beasant (Liberal Democrat, East Marsh) said: “It is going to be fantastic and raise aspirations in the community.

“This will be more than a library, it will a fabulous community it will benefit the whole the East Marsh and the surrounding wards such as Heneage and Sidney Sussex.

“The council has worked for benefit of the community on this building to overcome many of the problems by including increased CCTV and improvements to the road junction – this is great news.”

The new library will have a meeting room for up to 20 people that can host mother-and-toddler groups, health training and a place for police to give advice to residents.

The single-storey building will have a “living wall” feature and a mural wall.

Friends of Grant Thorold Park chairman Rob Powlesland said: “It will be a well-used facility that will reduce the incidence of anti- social behaviour.”

In April, councillors rejected the plan from the council’s own cultural services department.

They were concerned about the new library becoming a Mecca for troublemakers. But the head of cultural services, Steve Hipkins, said: “We have extended the CCTV scheme to include all points around the building.

“Mural walls have been proved elsewhere to reduce graffiti and promote a sense of ownership and pride among young people.”

New facilities will include high-bandwidth access to the Internet and a study support centre to teach computer skills.

He said: “We will provide a modern environment with face-on book displays, comfortable seating and study space.”

Library supervisor Penny Wood said: “I think it’s going to be brilliant for the area.

“We are the third busiest library in North East Lincolnshire and a lot of children use the library.

“We are really pleased because the current building is quite dated and there are problems with subsidence. The new building will be quite modern-looking building and will blend in quite well with its surroundings.”