New city library 'still has leaks when it rains'
BBCA delay-hit library in Nottingham will open this month as planned, even though there are still "some issues to sort", the leader of the city council has said.
The opening of Sherwood library in Spondon Street was originally planned for the summer of 2024 but was delayed after the discovery of more than 130 defects.
Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, announced on Monday that the facility would open on 17 April, marking "a really important moment for the community".
She has since told the BBC that the building still had "leaks coming when it rains, so we're fixing the ones we see", but said it would "still be safe" when it opens.
The old library was deemed not fit for purpose in 2017, and the council later sold the site to Hockley Developments to build a new one, the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously said.
The developer has built a number of new homes on a large part of the site, and a Sainsbury's store has also opened in a space beneath the new library.
However, problems with the development became apparent after a previous contractor, Dako Construction, collapsed into administration at the beginning of 2023.
In January, Khan said the developer had completed the outstanding work and council contractors had begun fitting out the library.
Speaking after announcing the opening date for the library, Khan said she had been "quite horrified" by the delays.
She added: "I've had to personally get involved.
"When I took over as council leader in 2024, there was lots of promises made and not delivering on that, so it's been a tough, tough time."
Campaigners previously condemned a "tug-of-war" game between the developer and the council to remedy a number of defects found within the new building.
Khan apologised for the delays and said: "I can assure you the building is now safe to open.
"It's a brand new building, but we've still got leaks coming when it rains, so we're fixing the ones we see. You don't expect that from a brand new build."
The council said the new library featured a colourful children's area, free WiFi, public computers, study tables, comfortable seating and a bookable meeting room.
It will also have a balcony, which will be planted with greenery from Woodthorpe Park Nursery.
A temporary mobile library began operating in December 2025 and is available every Saturday at Woodthorpe Grange Park.
It will continue operating until Saturday.
Hockley Developments has been contacted for comment.
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