Ealing Council is to spend £900,000 on refurbishing and improving Acton Town Hall and Northolt libraries as well as Southall Library & Dominion Centre to provide space for cultural and community events.
The work, which will see Acton Town Hall and Northolt libraries close from 4 November 2024 until March 2025 is being funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
According to the council, there will be a temporary library on the ground floor of the existing building in Acton High Street while a cabin will be put up beside Northolt Library, in Church Road while the work is being done.
In a statement, the council said the refurbishment will allow the libraries to “have a modern, flexible look and feel with lots of natural light. Changes include mobile bookshelves replacing traditional fixed shelves so that they can be moved around to create space for cultural events, performances, meetings and community groups.”
At Southall Library and Dominion Centre, an “underutilised foyer” will be developed to help create more space for community hire as well as a new kitchenette and meeting room being built for Southall library.
Blerina Hashani, the council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said: “We want to continue supporting our libraries to be vibrant and inviting places for the community, which is why we’re making this significant investment in them.”
Councillor Hashani added: “Books will always be at the heart of our libraries but by making the spaces more flexible they can provide so much more, from entertainment, drama performances on a stage in the library to community meetings or celebrations.”
