Gorleston library set for move into former hair salon

Council officers have given the go-ahead for Gorleston library to move into the town's former Fusion hair salon on a temporary basis.

Gorleston library will be temporarily moving (Image: James Bass) The strange switch is to enable the town's existing library, in Lowestoft Road, to become the first of Norfolk County Council's libraries to be revamped as part of an £83m retrofitting scheme.

The former Fusion hair salon (Image: Google)

County Hall planners granted permission to NPS Property Consultants - owned by the county council - for the former salon, in Gorleston's High Street, to house the library for 12 months.

That will enable work to make the current library more energy efficient to be carried out.

In granting permission, council officers said the use of the High Street building - a hairdresser's shop for 25 years until it closed last November - would not have any "adverse impacts".

The temporary library will open between 9am and 7pm Monday to Friday and from 10am until 4pm on Saturdays.

The county council anticipates there will be about 40 visitors to the temporary library each day.

Gorleston is the first library to undergo improvements as part of a scheme to retrofit almost 200 council buildings ranging from community hubs, offices, fire stations and museums.

Jane James (Image: Jane James)

Jane James, the council's cabinet member for corporate services and innovation, previously said: "The temporary site at Gorleston High Street is very close to the existing library and has been chosen to minimise disruption to library services, ensuring that residents continue to have access to books, digital resource and community programmes.

"I am delighted that Norfolk County Council has a programme of investing in its libraries to modernise them, providing better lighting, heating and improving the feel of the sites.

"I know how much Gorleston library and its services mean to residents, so minimising disruption during these works is vital."