Welshpool library works 'nearing completion' as part of £14 million project
Work to restore Welshpool's library building is nearing completion ahead of a September opening date, contractors behind the scheme have said.
Work on Y Lanfa, the wharfside building which was previously home to Welshpool's library and Powysland Museum, has been ongoing as part of a £14 million scheme of restoration works on the Montgomery Canal.
The scheme was due to be completed by March this year, but "higher-than-expected" construction costs and delays purchasing land for the scheme mean the deadline for completion of the entire scheme has been put back to February 2026.
The library, which is currently hosted in the nearby Canalside Cottages, is set to reopen in September 2025, according to Welshpool-based contractor SWG Group.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund contributed £164,000 towards the cost of the work on Y Lanfa, while the Welsh Government put £140,000 towards the refurbishment of the canalside cottages on the same site, as part of its Transforming Towns programme.
"It’s fantastic to see the huge progress that’s being made to restore the Montgomery Canal and preserving our industrial heritage for generations to come," said Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith during a visit to Welshpool yesterday (July 21).
"Funding from the UK Government has enabled this ambitious plan to be delivered, creating jobs, supporting the tourist industry, and restoring vital wildlife habitats."
The scheme, which is being delivered in partnership by Powys County Council and Glandŵr Cymru, has received £13.94 million from the UK Government as part of its Levelling Up programme.
At Wern, contractors working for Glandŵr Cymru are creating a new pond alongside the canal for protected species of aquatic plants and other wildlife. And at Llanymynech, work has begun on a new bridge which will take Carreghofa Lane over the canal, instead of through it.
Richard Harrison, principal project manager at Glandŵr Cymru added: "We are making good progress on the restoration as we look to make the improvements that will ensure the sustainable long-term future of the canal so it can continue to benefit both people and nature."
Powys County Council said the library is expected to reopen in its usual home on the ground floor, in September.
The Powysland Museum is likely to reopen towards the end of 2025 on the first floor.
