The former Mill Road library is set for a bright future as a creative arts venue, after the council’s Assets & Procurement Committee today (Tuesday 15 October 2024) unanimously backed a bid from a creative-minded individual with a background in the community arts scene.
Officers will take forward the sale of the Grade II listed historic building and aim to complete by the end of the year. The chosen buyer not only has the financial resources available to buy the building but also has a track record of success in the creative arts sector and already runs two community venues elsewhere. The bidder is also keen to preserve the architectural merits of the unique building and expect to engage with the community, once the sale has been completed.
Councillors considered not only the financial bid made but also whether the offers delivered wider benefits for the local community. Planning restrictions already mean that the building can only be used as a school, museum, gallery, library, hall, place of worship, training centre or similar non-residential facility. Now, a deed will be used to limit future usage to the proposed use in the bid.
The council is legally required to obtain what is known as ‘best consideration’ for all building sales. This ensures that the most viable bid is accepted only after social, economic and environmental considerations have been assessed.
Cllr Ros Hathorn, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Assets and Procurement Committee, added: “We know there’s been a lot of interest in what’s happening with the former Mill Road library across the local community, with several individuals good enough to come along today to Committee to make clear their support for continued community use of the building.
“We’ve taken this decision in the context of continuing difficult economic conditions for the Council. We’ve received a strong bid from a creative and community-minded bidder.
“This bid to create an arts centre combines the best of both worlds with a dynamic community-focused offer from a private individual with the finances and experience to bring the former library back into public use.”
The bidding process was open to both community and commercial investors, with the county council keen to encourage as much interest as possible to secure the best future of this much-loved building. 26 viewings were arranged with a range of potential bidders and two viewing afternoons were open to the public, and seven bids were received which included more than one community-minded bids.
The historic building was put back on the market earlier in the year, after the preferred bidder decided not to continue with their proposals for a new charity HQ due to estimated construction costs exceeding their budget.
The former library is a designated Asset of Community Value (ACV). This means that the sale is subject to a detailed process which gives local community groups the opportunity to bid on the property. The ACV process has been followed in full by the county council and this process is managed separately by Cambridge City Council. The ACV designation does not determine who can buy the building, or the price paid.
Surveys following the end of the building lease with a community group back in 2019 revealed a need for urgent repairs which had not been completed by the leaseholder. The council invested extensively in the building to eliminate damp and fix stonework, brickwork and windows. The quality of the work was commended at the Greater Cambridge Design and Construction awards.
The former Mill Road Library is a Grade II listed building in central Cambridge, which was built around 1892 and opened to residents five years later. The building has been owned by Cambridgeshire County Council since the 1970s. The library closed in 1996.
The property, which is in the Mill Road Conservation Area, was marketed by Gerald Eve, with a guide price of £700,000.
