THE cost of a troubled public library refurbishment in Wellington has soared by more than a third to nearly £1.3 million.

The new unitary Somerset Council which will be created in April is proposing to include £1.229 million in its capital budget to cover the cost.

Improvements to the Fore Street library were originally proposed by the county council a year ago with an estimated budget of £900,000.

No explanation was provided by the council for the rapid increase in the cost of the work.

All three floors of the library will be remodelled and upgraded to make the building useable at least until the 2040s.

However, the work has twice been delayed after originally being planned to start last November and then in January.

Now, the council has said it will not start before May, because a bat survey first has to be carried out.

The library will relocate to the former over-60s club, in North Street, while contractors refurbish the Fore Street premises, and services will be offered as close to normal as possible until it moves back.

With an anticipated 10-month building programme, the new-look library is not expected to be operating until mid-to-late 2024.

The refurbishment will see a new and accessible front entrance to the library and better access throughout, including a lift and a new internal staircase for the first and second floors.

Accessible toilet and baby changing facilities and a meeting room will be fitted on the ground floor, and as much of the building as possible will be ‘decarbonised’.

Run-down parts of the premises currently unfit to be used will be repaired to provide work space for other public services which might want to use the building.