New Uddingston library goes up for auction

Jul 10 2008 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

UDDINGSTON’s new library building is to be sold at auction today (Thursday).

Current owners Land Securities Trillium have put the Bellshill Road building up for sale.

However, it is understood that the current £42,000 per annum rental fee will be unaffected by the sale.

The new library was officially opened in April and houses an IT centre, a local history resource and a DVD library.

Uddingston councillor Jim McGuigan this week called on South Lanarkshire to make a bid for the building to save council taxpayers the expense of footing an annual rental bill.

He said: “The lease has been agreed for a 20-year period at £42,000 per year and I’ve been told by officials this will not be affected by the sale.

“The old Uddingston library building on Main Street was sold for £300,000. That money will be used up by the seventh year of the lease.

“By the time the 20 years are up, a further £560,000 of council taxpayers’ money will have been spent.

“And once the 20-year lease is up another one will have to be negotiated.

“It’s totally profligate. I’d like to see the council buy the building at this week’s auction.

“Owning it outright would avoid throwing all that money away on rent.”

South Lanarkshire Council, however, this week dismissed councillor McGuigan’s proposal.

A spokesman said: “The capital receipt gained from the sale of the former Uddingston Library building would not provide sufficient finances to cover the costs of relocating the library and the associated adaption costs - and a realistic bid at auction for the new property.”