New permanent library opens years after closure
BBCA permanent library is opening in Folkestone after more than three years of limited and temporary provision.
Kent County Council will officially open the library and community learning centre at a property on Sandgate Road on Tuesday.
Folkestone Library left its Grace Hill location in December 2022 after the condition of the Grade II-listed building prompted safety concerns.
The library and associated services have been based at temporary sites in the town since then.
The new facilities include adult and children's libraries, study and community spaces, digital facilities, registrations and teaching space.
Closing the Grace Hill site had been controversial, particularly after the county council proposed auctioning off the building.
Local non-profits had proposed restoring library services to the site, which the county council did not accept.
Folkestone Town Council announced in April it had reached a deal to acquire the Grace Hill property as a community asset, prior to any auction.
The town council committed to seeing the site "reopened as a multi-purpose hub" for community groups, an arts space and as a public services contact point.
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