A multi-million pound project to relocate Reading's main library has been slammed as the council has been accused of 'poor maintenance' of its existing library.
A neighbour who uses the Reading Central Library has accused Reading Borough Council of poor maintenance and throwing away 'tonnes of books' as part of the upgrade project.
The council is relocating the Central Library to a new facility at its civic offices in Bridge Street after it won £19.1 million of Levelling Up funding from the previous Conservative government.
Of that, £8.6 million is being invested to build a new library, clearing the way for the current library in King's Road to be sold.
But the council has been accused of poor maintenance of the current building.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "The council haven't even funded having the Central Library windows properly cleaned.
"Yes that is 47 years of dust build-up in between the window panes on the first floor.
"So how can they be trusted to maintain the new office extension for the library?"
The neighbour also referred to an admission that the new library will have less books than the existing one. They said: "Also, as they are building 'new' why can they not build it large enough for the whole library instead of decimating the valuable reference publications, which residents have funded, and sending them to be destroyed in recycling?
"Tonnes of old and valuable books are being thrown for pulping every month."
The neighbour also questioned how much the council has spent on consultants for the new library project and the sales process.
Reading Borough Council replied by saying that book recycling is 'a final option' with those not being provided at the new library being relocated or sold.
A spokesperson said: "The council is maintaining its valuable reference books and will be providing a comprehensive reference section in the new library.
"Some library stock has been identified as being surplus to requirement, of which a majority is not currently on public display.
"These will be removed in line with our withdrawal and disposal policy which can include offering items to other libraries, organisations or interested parties, sales to the general public or, as a final option, recycling.
"The new library has a smaller footprint but the design will accommodate more books on public display as well as more studying space.
"Maintenance of the new library will be incorporated into the council’s existing maintenance routine for the Civic Offices.
"Consultant costs will be covered by the government funding secured by the council for the Central Library project."
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