SHROPSHIRE Council has formally lodged its planning application for a temporary home for Whitchurch library, after announcing the move last week.

The council, which said it has tried to identify multiple sites for a new library, will set up the base in St Mary’s Arcade, around 200 yards from the Civic Centre.

The library was closed last year with much of the centre following the discovery of Raac which rendered the building unusable out of safety fears.

READ MORE: Shropshire Council confirms new Whitchurch library plans

With Whitchurch Town Council making a temporary move to Station Road to work out of the former home of West Mercia Police, the library has been left in limbo since.

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However, the next step in securing a more permanent temporary base has been taken with planning permission being officially sought.

The application stated: “An application is being made for a change of use for the provision of existing retail units to a temporary limited library service.

“There are no structural changes proposed for this property and similarly no proposed changes to the elevational detail.

“The proposed change of use is for an area that was occupied as a shop, its use by staff/public to the use of the whole building class – commercial, business and service.

“As the shop unit is empty, the area needs to be changed to local community and learning.”

The application said that the opening hours will be Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday, 9.30am until 1pm and will be closed on Sunday.

However, staff are expected to be on site from 8am until 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am until 2pm on Saturday.

The statement added: “It is not considered that the change of use will have any noise impact on the other parts of the building or in the vicinity.

“We do, however, not the adjoining properties.

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“There are no specific plans or change to the existing arrangements around the storage and collection of waster which is currently in place.”

The statement added that access is pedestrian only with no car parking but is next to High Street where there are some spaces to park.

Consultation on the plans is open until Monday, November 11 but the plans are expected to be passed to allow the town to open up the library.