Abergavenny community hub could cost up to £2m

Monmouthshire County Council has already spent £100,000 developing the scheme since 2016, a report has revealed.

The authority wants to merge the hall’s existing one stop shop, where residents can access council and careers services, with the town’s “outdated” library in Baker Street and other community learning services.

But the report hints at existing services operating out of the Grade II listed town hall, in Cross Street, being disrupted during the work.

The building, which dates back to the 1870s, currently hosts the town council offices, indoor market and the Borough Theatre.

The report reads: “At this stage we are not in a position to confirm the length of the works and the impact on services.

“We are however working with the design team to try and find solutions that will enable the building to remain open during the works, albeit that they may need to be re-located as the phases progress.

“This will become determined in the next few months as the designs and phasing are crystallised.”

A new and extended library has been proposed on the first floor of the, complete with a mezzanine-viewing deck overlooking the indoor market.

The plans also seek permission to construct a new passenger lift to provide wheelchair access to the first-floor hub, and the Borough Theatre on the second and third floors.

The ground floor will also be refurbished as part of the scheme, which has been drawn up on the council’s behalf by GWP Architecture.

Costings for the scheme have yet to be finalised, according to the report set to go before Bryn y Cwm area committee on May 16.

It adds: “A funding envelope of circa £2,000,000 was identified in the previous council report.

“There is no council approval in place to drawdown this funding and this will subject to a further report to full council in the event that we are able to determine that the proposal will result in service improvement, has all the statutory consents and is within the indicated funding envelope.”