There are fresh hopes for a public library after a charity announced proposals to “reimagine” the space.

Creative Folkestone is working on a plan to help Kent County Council (KCC) re-open the long-closed building in the town, which has remained shut since 2022 due to severe structural issues.

The Grace Hill library, which dates back to the 1880s, has suffered from extensive damage, with damp and mould worsening after rainwater seeped in.

Last year, KCC estimated that repairs would cost £2.9 million, leaving the future of the beloved site in jeopardy as the council’s annual budget for maintaining all non-school buildings is just £3 million.

In January this year, KCC’s growth, economic development and communities cabinet committee agreed to explore two potential solutions: selling or issuing a long lease for the Grace Hill building while leasing back part of it for the library, or relocating the service to another leasehold site, such as Folca, the former Debenhams building in the town centre.

Alastair Upton, CEO of Creative Folkestone, explained that the charity is not looking to take over the running of the library but is instead proposing a partnership that would integrate the building into a wider regeneration project.

"It's not that Creative Folkestone wants to take over the library," he explained.

"What we're proposing is working with KCC to reimagine the building with a different use."

Under the proposed plan, the library would still be run by KCC, but the building itself would be redesigned with a mixed-use approach.

"We're not librarians, so they would run it," Mr Upton clarified.

"But with a mixed use, so sort of an interesting imaginative use for it.

“So some community space, and we're working with all the community groups, and Save the Library group are really pushing on that."

The charity, which boasts Sir Roger De Haan as its chairman, sees the proposal as part of a broader initiative known as the Creative Campus, which aims to enhance Folkestone’s creative economy.

Folkestone’s library was temporarily closed in December 2022 after flooding made the building unsafe.

Many pipes are cracked or restricted with narrow bends and overall there are not enough to cope with high water levels.

Some guttering has ended up blocked by debris and is not always reachable to clear.

As a result, too much rainwater got inside, causing damp and building deterioration.

A temporary service has been running at the former Shepway Youth Club, offering computer access and the option to reserve books.

Discussions with KCC are ongoing, with both parties working through the logistics of how the building would function with multiple stakeholders.

"We're trying to just finalise the proposal that we've got, so we've got a very worked-out proposal for that," Mr Upton said.

"We're just going to try and finalise the nuts and bolts of how it works and then we've got the proposal there."