Taff’s Well Library is set to relocate to a new purpose-built facility at Coleg Morgannwg’s Nantgarw campus from 2012.
The move, approved by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet committee, will give library users access to much-improved facilities, including more specialist books and journals; computers, as well as meeting rooms for events, activities and classes and more space for the children’s library.
The current library building in Cardiff Road, Taff’s Well, is in poor condition and in need of costly major structural repair.
The new library – a partnership project with Coleg Morgannwg – will form part of a state-of-the-art campus. A range of other community facilities will also be available to local residents, including a restaurant, hair salon and beauty therapy services run by staff and students of Coleg Morgannwg.
Coleg Morgannwg is actively seeking to engage with the local community to provide local residents with a range of learning opportunities at the new Taff Ely Learning Centre, which will be just over a mile away from the current public library at Taff’s Well.
Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Cllr Robert Bevan, said: “Taff’s Well library building and its location restricts the range of services which can be provided, and users regularly complain about the lack of car parking.
“The move will offer the Library Service the opportunity to engage with potential new library users and increase library usage.
“Library users who currently travel by car or bus to Taff’s Well library should have no problems accessing the site. Car users should see improvements in car parking facilities and there are public transport links to the new site.
“Our mobile library service will consider creating a new street stop for those who may have difficulties travelling to the new library. We also provide a Housebound Library Service which visits housebound users in their own homes and a Transport to the Library Service for semi-housebound users.”
The new Taff Ely Learning Centre project at Coleg Morgannwg is backed by more than £34 million of Welsh Assembly Government funding, including almost £7m from the European Development Fund. The new campus is expected to be completed in September 2012.
Library usage increased dramatically – by more than 60 per cent – after Church Village library relocated from its former site in the centre of the village, to the new Lifelong Learning Centre at Gartholwg.
Membership of all Rhondda Cynon Taf’s libraries is free and everyone living or working within the county borough is welcome to join. Find out more by visiting www.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/libraries
