Norwich council to announce plans for empty historic Old Library

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 07:07 · Archive

Norwich City Council says it will soon announce plans to reopen the grade II listed Old Library on Guildhall Hill, which has been empty since 2019.

Norwich City Council says it will announce plans soon to reopen the Old Library on Guildhall Hill, a grade II listed building dating back to 1784 that became home to one of the oldest subscription libraries in the country in 1837. The building has been empty since its closure as a restaurant in 2019 and is now boarded up, overgrown and covered in graffiti.

The council said it had been working behind the scenes to secure a preferred partner to bring the building back into public use. In September last year, the council announced it had received interest in the premises from potential partners.

Between 2019 and 2025, police responded to seven reports at the building, averaging at least one callout a year. The council has spent more than £80,000 on the site in that period, of which £69,163.86 went on repairs and maintenance. This includes £29,460 on damage from a break-in, which was subject to a successful insurance claim.

How it is being reported

• Council-owned landmark building remains empty despite interest in site a year agoNorwich City Council says plans to reopen the historic Old Library on Guildhall Hill will soon be announced after more than £80,000 was spent maintaining it.Eastern Daily Press · 25 Oct, 06:00
• Council-owned landmark building remains empty despite interest in site a year agoNorwich City Council says plans to reopen the historic Old Library on Guildhall Hill will soon be announced after more than £80,000 was spent maintaining it.Norwich Evening News · 25 Oct, 06:00

In this story: Norwich City Council · Old Library · Guildhall Hill · Norwich

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