Acocks Green Library Update

The latest information is that the planned date for the building to be handed back is the 19 February, so giving the librarians time to put things back into good order, then we should see the library reopening by the end of February. I'll confirm it all once we have some certainty behind it.

Acocks Green Library Update

Work will restart this week to complete the repairs to the library - it is on course for handover towards the end of the month, weather permitting. We have to complete some additional works, including improving the lightning protection for the building, repairs to the concrete lintel and staircase in the staff area, repairs to the fascia and also much needed repairs to the ramp and the external brickwork. We'll also try to fit in some internal redecoration of the library if the budget allows.

Acocks Green Library Repairs Update

Before.....

I attended another of the regular progress meetings at the library on Tuesday and work is continuing well. Re-roofing is now complete on all three roof sections and the roof lights are installed on the two smaller roof sections. The weather has been generally quite kind, although it has caused some delays and the external work won't be complete until the 20th December.

You can see the difference in the two pictures. The old rooflights, dingy and sealed with flashband (a temporary water proofing measure at best) have been replaced with new, identical uPVC units, which are double glazed and designed to retain heat. Each of these units is assembled in the factory to check that they meet the bespoke size requirements, then taken to bits for powder coating before being delivered to site and reassembled again. The dodecahedronal units on the lower roof will be the most complicated of the lot (there are four or five different designs of roof light up there in total).

The library will be noticeably lighter once this work is done. Because this project has been managed under budget, we're also improving the ventilation by installing powered openers on selected windows to give a better flow of air in the warm months.

Roof fixed and skylights replaced

The photo below shows the water damage above one of the windows on the stairwell in the staff area. The surveyor reports back that this is not merely cosmetic - the lintel will need to be replaced. This will require significant internal and external structural scaffolding to support the roof while the work is completed and is more substantial than first thought.

Again, thanks to careful management of costs, we're able to get this work done. Originally, the roof above this wasn't planned to be replaced, although the condition was at least as poor as the main roof sections above the lending library itself.

Water damaged lintel

Once the externals are completed and after the Christmas break, the internal work - making good and repainting - has to be done. Some of this work could perhaps have been completed during normal closure days, but that would have meant further disruption, so we have decided to keep the library closed until the work is completed.

Unfortunately, this means that we aren't likely to get the library handed back until around the 17th January and it will take at least a week to ten days to return the library to a suitable condition to be opened to users (South Yardley took a fortnight, but that had been completely stripped for well over a year), so the aim is that we should be back in business by the end of January at the very latest.

Library repairs update

I had another meeting with the contractors today to discuss progress on the library. As you can see from the photo, the first of the new lanterns is being installed (there are over a dozen and there are five different designs on the roof). Double-glazed and with solar-reflective glass in them, they will make a difference to the warmth of the library during the winter.

So far, eleven days have been lost to the weather and the forecast isn't good for the days ahead. This means that the handover date may be delayed - it looks unlikely that we'll get the library handed back by the 13th December as originally planned and the earliest date for handover looks to be the 20th December, but that is still weather-dependent. What that means is that we are likely to see the library reopen early in the New Year, once the building has been returned to a useable condition, which will take about a week after it is handed back to us.

Acocks Green Library Update

Another site meeting yesterday and another progress report.

The top roof is now almost complete and delivery of the first set of three replacement skylights is due within the week. The new double-glazing units are coated to reflect heat, so will offer additional energy saving over the current plain glass panels.

Weather has taken about three days' work out of the project so far, but there is enough slack at the moment so that the repairs should complete on time before Christmas. It is not likely, however, given the time for handover and recommissioning of the library, that it will reopen to the public until after Christmas.

Library Update

We're on course for closure as planned. The staff will spend most of next week preparing the building and should hand over the keys to the contractors on Monday 2 September. Then they have to install the scaffolding, heavy duty protection to the carpets, shelving and the model train collection and carry out a few more tests while they are mobilising materials and people to the site. Although the building is locally listed, it isn't statutorily listed, but the design of the new roof lights will be very similar to that already used on the listed buildings in Kings Heath and Selly Oak.

All being well, we'll be looking to have the building back just before Christmas. There will be regular meetings while the repairs are carried out, so I'll keep you up to date on progress.

Don't forget that books already on loan can be returned to any other library, but there's no fine payable if you wait to return it to Acocks Green.

From Monday 2 September, South Yardley Library will be open extra hours to partly fill the gap while Acocks Green is closed:

Monday 9am - 7pm

Tuesday 9am - 5pm

Wednesday 9am - 5pm

Thursday 9am - 7pm

Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 9am - 5pm

Acocks Green Library - Temporary Closure from Tuesday 27 August 2013

After intervention from Stewart and myself, we've now received revised pricing on the work to the roof and a solution has been found that keeps the work within the allocated funding and allows the full replacement of the roof, we can now look to set a date. Amazingly, the initial plans only allowed replacement of the roof over the public areas and would have allowed continued leaking into the staff areas at the rear left of the building - some of the damage there already is quite worrying.

It is proposed that the library will be closed from Tuesday 27 August for an initial week to allow preparation of the building for work - we have also instructed that some additional protection is put in place for the train displays at the rear of the building. The contractors should move in from the 2 September to start work for about 12 weeks.

All groups that currently use the library will be temporarily relocated and any books out on loan can be returned to any other library. South Yardley Library will start extended opening hours from the 2 September. If you can't get the books back to other libraries, don't worry - no fines will be incurred if you wait until Acocks Green reopens.

I am inquiring as to whether we can push the closure date back to the end of the school holidays and will update you if that can be done - although I am concerned that we get the work done as soon as possible and before autumn and winter return.

After discussions with the local service manager, we've agreed that the closure date will remain as it is. There are sound administrative reasons that make the original date sensible. It will be inconvenient, as all closures are, but the library team need the time to complete the handover and establish new working regimes.

Not a bad couple of days

Not a bad day all round - I had a really good afternoon at the Council House with the young people from the House of Play and Education who were on a guided tour of the building and asked some key questions. Even there, wheelie bins came up for discussion.

I had a quick phone call from the police about some offensive graffiti on Starcross Road, which they had reported and been promised removal by Amey by September 4th. Knowing which buttons to press, I had that graffiti removed within an hour.

And now, after raising a bit of grief over the delays from the contractor on moving forward the repairs to Acocks Green Library roof, it looks as though we might be getting closer. We've got a price which is now within the budget and are moving towards a pre-start meeting. No dates yet, but we look to be more or less on the way now!

Add to that yesterday's highly effective meeting with CENTRO, NXWM and the LSTF design team and it has been a rather productive couple of days.

Still time for the week to go wrong, though.

Library Update - 9 May - Closure postponed

The closure planned for this Saturday has been postponed.

Last week's meeting identified some asbestos testing that needs to be carried out prior to the work starting and the advice then was that it needed to be done with the building closed and just in advance of work. Following a more detailed risk assessment, it has been clarified that we can carry this work out on a Friday when the library is closed as normal. Once we know the results, then we'll have a clearer idea of how to progress.

As our aim is to keep the library open as much as possible, it would be wrong to close the library and have it standing unused for any longer than we actually need to. Stewart and I are both anxious to avoid the mess that saw South Yardley out of action for a year and a half while problems were put right.

This is a reversal of an announcement earlier in the week, but as we are now able to keep the library open, this is the right decision to take. Sorry for any inconvenience caused and I will try to keep people up to date on progress.

Library Update

After a site meeting on Friday, we now have a confirmed date for the start of the temporary closure. Acocks Green library will close this Saturday, the 11 May, to allow for preparations to hand over to the contractors on the 24 May, with work planned to start on the 28 May. Reopening is planned for early September. 

South Yardley library will pick up the strain and will open all day on Wednesdays to provide extra access:

Monday 9am-7pm

Tuesday 9am - 5pm

Wednesday 9am - 5pm

Thursday 9am - 7pm

Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 9am - 5pm

(Note that it will be closed on Monday 27 May for the Bank Holiday)

I will keep you updated on progress.