Havering Council is set to review plans for the Gidea Park, Harold Wood and South Hornchurch libraries at a cabinet meeting next Wednesday (December 10).
The three libraries – which shut in April this year in an attempt to save the council money – have undergone a review process, whereby council officers and cabinet members have considered future options for each site.
A council report published ahead of next Wednesday’s meeting reveals that, following this process, two of the three libraries are earmarked for demolition.
Gidea Park Library is set to be demolished to make way for a new six-person accommodation for children with disabilities, which would be adjacent to the proposed Balgores Special School.
The aim is for construction work on this to start in August 2026, following planning approval, and be ready for use by August 2027.
While also expected to be bulldozed, a final decision on the demolition of South Hornchurch Library will not be made until it is assessed whether keeping the existing buildings will generate a better offer for redevelopment.
South Hornchurch Library has already been spotted on property website Zoopla, but a price is not publicly advertised.
The demolition of both buildings is expected to cost £230,000 – which the cabinet is asked to approve at its meeting – however the report states that this money will be recovered “in the form of reduced development costs” later down the line.
Meanwhile, Harold Wood Library is now an asset of community value (ACV) after a successful application from charity the Harold Wood Foundation.
This means that the community has the right to be informed about a decision to sell the site and is able to prepare a bid for it.
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A proposal by the foundation to use the library for a series of community-based initiatives is being considered.
However, the report reveals that during the review process, there was a preference by officers and cabinet members towards redeveloping the site for housing, “ideally by the council or its housing company, Mercury Land Holdings”.
At this stage, cabinet members have only been asked to note the ongoing evaluation of the foundation’s proposals.
