Engineers have started essential maintenance work to stabilise the historic Northwich Library.

Engineers are carrying out external structural work to the building to ensure it is sound and ready for the start of major internal renovation work beginning next year, transforming the building for future generations of library users.

Graham Pink, Director of Commercial Management and Delivery at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "Over the past months, a team of historic building specialists and structural engineers have been working together to calculate how to sensitively support the building to allow conservation and repair work to be undertaken.

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"This first phase of structural support work will allow the engineers to get up close to the building and design a scheme of structural repairs along its west elevation, which is suffering from some complex structural problems. This will safeguard this important historic building and architectural asset at the heart of Northwich Town Centre."

The Council has commissioned Recclesia Ltd to undertake the initial phase of work, based on its experience of looking after historic buildings with complicated conservation and remedial repair requirements.

Recclesia will be working alongside structural engineers from Ramboll, specialist scaffolding engineers, Historic England, asbestos specialists, and qualified health and safety advisors to carry out the work.