A Brent library is preparing to close whilst it undergoes a £1 million refurbishment, with improvements including a new digital area, more study space for students and modernised children’s library.
Concerns had been raised that structural issues may result in people being injured by falling debris, with the building being described as “in a poor state”.
The work will soon start on the £1.14m renovation of Kilburn Library on Salusbury Road after the plans were first approved by Brent Council’s Cabinet in April 2023. The local authority is still working on “temporary alternative arrangements” for residents to access key services whilst the refurbishment is taking place.
The library will close on July 7 and will remain closed until early 2026, with an exact reopening date yet to be announced. The council has said the new building will provide a range of new facilities to “better meet the needs of [the area’s] growing and diverse communities”.
When it reopens, visitors can expect to find a new digital area with upgraded IT facilities, a modernised children’s library, flexible space for events, activities and exhibitions, more study areas for students and remote workers, and an extension housing a hireable community space. The venue will be available to groups and for meetings, events, and workshops.
The investment is made up of £783,000 funding from the council’s Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (SCIL) – money generated from a charge imposed on new developments to fund infrastructure projects – and £231,500 from Arts Council England.
When the plans were first set out in 2023, Brent Council’s Corporate Director of Resident Services described both the library building and garden on Salusbury Road as “in a poor state”. There were said to be large cracks forming in the structure of the building, with claims any further wear and tear to the building would cause it to become “increasingly unsafe and costly”.
Brent Council is still “working on the details” to make sure it can continue to provide services to the community and said an update will follow. In the meantime, residents have been advised to use the library facilities at Willesden Green and Harlesden where the services are unaffected.
Harlesden Library on Craven Road underwent its own £285,000 refurbishment in 2023, having remained shut for eight months whilst the works were carried out. It boasted new IT facilities, quiet booths for study, and a dedicated young adults area, alongside more classroom space for Brent Council’s adult learning classes – Brent Start.
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
