ONE of Pontypool's most notorious eyesores could be given a new lease of life in a radical council decision.

The empty Hypervalue store on Commercial Street could soon be taken over by Torfaen council to house the town's library and to provide extra office space.

Negotiations are nearing completion for the cut-price supermarket chain, who still own the Grade II listed building, to sell it to developers.

They would renovate the five floor, 13,000 sq ft building and lease it to the council for around 25 years.

If the plan goes ahead, the library would double in size, from the current 3,000 sq ft building, and be housed on the ground floor and basement.

The first and second floors would be used by council staff whose offices in the Civic Centre are to be used by workers from the National Assembly's Care Standards Inspectorate who are due to move into the building by September.

A previously unused lower basement floor would be used for storage. Lyndon Watkins, the council's asset and town centre manager, said: "We would be looking to take occupation of the premises in January next year with the library transferring into the building at that time.

"Negotiations have not been concluded but we hope they will be in the next few weeks." He said they had not decided on a future use for the library.

"We are looking at other potential uses for the building - both by the council and other options.

"Any use of the vacant building would have to be appropriate to its listed building status and in sympathy with a building that is an important part of the fabric of the town.

He revealed the council had previously attempted to take over the Hypervalue property. "We did attempt to acquire the premises and lease them back to Hypervalue but they turned down our approach."