New roof and solar panels for Ramsbottom Library

A new roof and solar panels will ensure that Ramsbottom Library has a watertight and green future.

Work is due to start on 31 March and will finish by 14 June, weather depending. The library’s car park will be used as the site compound for the works.

Enabling works have already taken place to clear gullys and vegetation, and scaffolding is being erected around the building.

During the works, some library events will be moved to the nearby Ramsbottom Civic Hall, and alternative arrangements made for certain adult education classes.

Surveys found that it was necessary to replace the roof following a number of leaks which had caused damage to the fabric of the building.

The new solar panels, meanwhile, will generate 4800kwh per year of renewable energy. This will save the library up to £1,000 per year in electricity costs, helping to protect it from future energy price rises. It will also support the council’s commitment to tacking the climate emergency and reaching its target to be carbon neutral by 2038.

Councillor Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture and the economy, said: “This really is a win-win situation – a much-needed new roof on a well-used local facility, and lower energy bills too. It’s all part of our commitment to improving the centre of Ramsbottom, and we will work with the contractors to limit disruption as much as we can during the works.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 19 March 2025.