East Sussex County Council is building the £2m Library and Council leaders will officially mark the start of work this week.
Councillor Meg Stroude, Lead Cabinet Member for Libraries will be joined by Joy Preston, the Chairman of the Lewes Library Friends at the site just off Friars Walk this Friday 30 July at 10.00am.
Councillor Stroude is confident that Lewes can look forward to an excellent new library when the project is completed next summer. She said: "We’re all delighted that construction work has started. The County Council is providing Lewes with a modern, easily accessible building with state of the art facilities that will serve the community for many years to come.”
More than £53,000 has been raised so far by Lewes Library Friends for extra equipment over and above the fittings and furnishings for the new library which are being provided by the County Council. "With the start of the building itself, our generous donors can see that their money is about to be put to good, practical use,” said Joy Preston, chairman of the Lewes Library Friends. "It will make a real contribution towards the most outstanding new library in the county for 50 years.”
Construction of the library is being carried out by J Cheesmur & Sons Ltd of Lewes. Work started on the site last month.
Notes to editors
You are very welcome to send a reporter and/or photographer to the official start of work on the new Lewes Library. The celebration will take place at 10am on Friday 30 July 2004 at the Lewes House site off Friars Walk.
Some of the money the Friends have raised will buy equipment to enable visitors with seeing and hearing difficulties to enjoy the facilities. More will provide improvements for the music collection, the children’s area and the Sussex collection. The Friends are continuing to raise money to buy further equipment and to help maintain it all for many years. They expect to raise a total of £70,000.
Reference:
04/246/MF
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