THE future of Knighton’s old library has been resolved after the town council announced the £80,000 purchase of the building.

The fate of the library has been a controversial political hot potato locally, with many Knighton residents angered by the town council’s handling of the matter, claiming its purchase would be a waste of public funds and accusing the council of trying to pull the wool over residents’ eyes and conducting business in secret.

They even resorted to getting former Brecon and Radnorshire MP and current education minister Kirsty Williams involved.

But the town council rubbished these claims, saying they had been “up front and honest” about their intentions from the start.

And, at their monthly meeting via Zoom on Wednesday night (January 20), clerk Neil King revealed that the purchase of the building had been completed.

“The town council has today purchased the library for £80,000. It’s been a long time coming,” Mr King announced to his fellow councillors and a number of members of the public who’d tuned in to the meeting.

Mr King said the building would remain unoccupied for the next few months while Wales and UK-wide restrictions relating to the coronavirus pandemic remain in place, but that the council were keen to get on with maintenance tasks, such as cleaning the gutters.

Knighton Town Council expressed an interest in taking over ownership of the building around 18 months ago but had seen previous bids rebuffed by Powys County Council. They submitted an improved £80,000 bid for the building prior to the Covid-19 pandemic – with tentative plans to use it to open a council office, chamber and a youth-work base, with other rooms available for rent for local groups.

But the leasing of it to outside groups is an issue which has caused most consternation with local residents, left angry amid alleged plans the town council want to lease three quarters of the building to a new community bank initiative being developed with Welsh Government support. The worry is that Banc Cambria – which would work like a normal bank, with branches across the country, but owned by its members – doesn’t even have a banking licence yet.

A petition signed by 67 town residents opposing the town council’s plan was presented to them in December 2019. Residents are concerned the purchase of the library will lead to an increase in their council tax precepts.

Two outside offers for the old library from private bidders were withdrawn at a late stage.

Education minister Ms Williams said: “I have made representations to the town council and to Powys County Council on behalf of a number of Knighton residents who have contacted me with concerns about the proposed purchase of the former library building.

“Town councils are corporate bodies with a legal existence of their own, they are entitled to make decisions of this sort, as long as they have followed all the correct processes and procedures.”