We have worked with architects and independent consultants to explore a range of options for protecting, enhancing and revitalising The Coro and library services in Ulverston.
In total eight options have been considered, all with different scope and costs.
These ranged from ‘do nothing’ to light-touch upgrades and extensive refurbishments of the King’s Road Library building and The Coro, and various combinations of these approaches.
All the options have been independently assessed against the following objectives:
- Do they deliver high-quality library services in Ulverston?
- Do they meet community needs and help create a strong sense of community?
- Do they improve the cultural offer in Ulverston to support vitality, diversity and sustainability and are they relevant to the Ulverston community?
- Do they protect and ensure the ongoing operation of The Coro as a valued community and cultural asset and iconic building?
- Do they contribute to the financial sustainability of council-owned assets in Ulverston?
- Do they contribute to wider place-making and regeneration ambitions for Ulverston, including the Ulverston Place Plan (* see NOTE below), by making the town centre a greater destination for residents and visitors?
- Do they help reduce energy costs and carbon footprint?
- Do they deliver best value for money (measured as how much social and community benefit is achieved relative to total cost)?
- How affordable and achievable are each of the options?
NOTE: Ulverston Place Plan was drawn up by Ulverston’s Town Team, which is made up of representatives from Ulverston businesses, schools and community groups alongside the local councils.
The Place Plan vision was agreed following a community consultation, workshops and interviews in 2020, which asked local people and organisations for their views on opportunities to build local pride and confidence in the town and further develop Ulverston’s unique selling points.
A list of key projects was identified, including ambitions to:
- provide improved space for cultural activities
- protect Ulverston’s heritage buildings, specifically The Roxy and The Coronation Hall
The Place Plan states: “For Ulverston to really assume the mantle of a cultural hub it is important to have a high-quality destination area within the centre which can be a combination of the Coronation Hall, now named The Coro, the Roxy Cinema, the Laurel and Hardy Museum and potentially a public plaza.”
The Proposal
After considering all the eight options, the option with the greatest potential to deliver against the objectives is:
Investment in The Coro to enable a co-location of Ulverston Library Service.
This would focus cultural, learning and creative arts on a single destination and require investment to re-model The Coro building and layout to extend the library and create new community spaces and a new café bar area.
This is now the preferred option for the council as we believe it best meets the key objectives. We now want to hear your views on the proposal before any final decisions are made.
Have your say
This Consultation is now CLOSED
Thank you for your feedback