Former leaseholders of Coronation Hall slam council proposals

Community based charity Ulverston Coronation Hall (UCH), who managed the Coronation Hall for over seven years, fear plans to move the library service into the building will ‘sell both the library and the Coro short’.

Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council are recommended to approve the permanent relocation of Ulverston Library service into the Coronation Hall when they meet on September 10.

READ MORE: Ulverston Library service set to be re-located to Coronation Hall

If this is agreed, councillors will decide whether the Ulverston Library building on Kings Road should be declared ‘surplus to existing operational needs’ with the future options for the asset assessed in accordance with the council’s disposal policy.

Councillors will also consider the outline business case for the redevelopment of the Coro to improve ‘the arts, culture and entertainment offer’ in the area.

However UCH say they have ‘multiple concerns’ about the proposals which stem from their ‘deep and lived’ understanding of the building.

A statement from UCH says: “The design proposals lack understanding of the current issues within The Coro building, they lack understanding of a vision for the cultural future of the town, and they diminish the Coro’s potential to contribute to Ulverston Place Plan’s ambition to ‘Provide improved space for cultural activities’.

“They will undermine, not enhance the building’s capacity to earn income and attract funding by reducing spaces and creating sub-optimal income-generation spaces. In the long run, this will cost the Council more.”

A report prepared for the cabinet meeting says the council does not ‘underestimate’ the affinity people have to Ulverston Library.

The report adds: “We intend to provide investment into the Coronation Hall (the Coro) to create improved, flexible and creative community spaces This will enable the relocation of the much valued library service into the building which will support the sustainability of the cultural offer in Ulverston.”

Council documents also revealed it would cost £4.2 million to refurbish the Kings Road library and the Coro while the preferred option of re-locating the library service into the Coro would cost £2.5 million.

Documents state: “The presence of a permanent library offer within The Coro is expected to be a key driver of footfall, supporting The Coro to become a focal point for the community and visitors.’’

Amongst concerns raised by the charity include the location of the proposed library in the Supper Room as the group claim this ‘compromises’ the Coro’s functionality.

Visualisation of how the library could look in The Coro under the proposed option (Image: Westmorland and Furness Council)

The charity also claims the council’s proposed option offers a ‘smaller’ library with conflicting needs in the building.

The statement from UCH adds: “With the library in its own building all assets of the Coronation Hall were available just across the road to increase the offer for library events – and spare room in the library itself.”

However, a report prepared for the meeting says: “A library in the Supper Room would be designed with shelving and furniture that is fully
flexible and can be moved to create a multi-functional space, so the room would be available for hires and activities such as art exhibitions and meetings outside library opening hours, such as evenings and weekends.

“These events would therefore be at times when the rest of The Coro is likely in use, making it easier to staff and manage and ensuring the venue is being fully utilised, for more of the year, adding to its sustainability.”

According to council documents, the proposed works to the Coro will cost £2.53 million and will lead to the building having an ‘improved commercial offer’ with bar, food and beverage facilities as well as a ‘permanent and enhanced’ library with 100 per cent of active book stock available.

Other benefits stated by the council include a dedicated children’s library and increased ICT facilities as well as improved community and flexible activity space within the Coro.

The report says: “Having the library within an arts and cultural venue will provide local people, and visitors, with the opportunity to experience multiple activities such as attending a theatre production or library activity in addition to browsing the bookshelves and enjoying refreshments from the café.

“Library customers will have the option to borrow and return their books at the self-check machine outside of normal library open hours, thus providing a much more flexible service offer. The stock will be refreshed, and some collections increased, particularly the popular local collection.”

A consultation carried out by Westmorland and Furness Council on the authority's preferred option to re-locate the library service was held in which 74.85 per cent of respondents said they would visit the library and Coro the same or more under the proposed option.

READ MORE: Report reveals dozens of electrical repairs at Ulverston Library

The library on Kings Road closed in September 2023 after the discovery of electrical faults in the building during routine statutory checks.

According to the council report, it would cost £1.1 million to allow the ‘safe occupation’ of the Kings Road library with an additional £750,000 required to achieve a similar ‘look and feel’ to other libraries refurbished by the council.

However, the report adds this figure of £1.85 million carries a ‘significant degree’ of uncertainty.

Following the council taking over the management of the Coro in January, the temporary library has been located in the Supper Room at the Coro and is open in line with the Kings Road opening hours.