THE FUTURE of a landmark building in Alcester has been secured.
Globe House is a former office of the district council but in recent years has become surplus to the authority’s requirements.
However earlier this year Warwickshire County Council expressed an interest in taking a full repairing lease on the building and operating it as a public library.
They were looking to turn the building into a ‘cultural hub’ and planned to relocate the present library after alterations had been carried out.
Part of the Globe building is currently occupied by the Alcester Museum while the remainder is used by Alcester Town Council, a number of voluntary organisations, police reporting services and Warwickshire Direct on short-term licences.
In May county council chiefs voted in favour of the proposals, which it was hoped would help provide a permanent home for these services.
But in order to complete the process they required a commitment to a lease from the building’s current owners, Stratford District Council.
And on Monday (July 27) members of the authority’s Cabinet agreed to grant a 99-year lease at a peppercorn rent.
Globe House underwent a major renovation in 2001 when around £800,000 of public money was invested in the building.
Under the new arrangement, the county council will provide a home for the Alcester Museum and operate the building as a public facility for the town’s residents.
They have also agreed to cover the revenue costs associated with the building – estimated to be around £40,000 per year.
But Stratford District Council will retain the freehold of the building, and should the Globe House cease to be a viable public library at any point in the future, the building will revert back to the control of the district council.
Speaking about the decision, district council finance spokeswoman, Lynda Organ, said: “This is an important step in bringing services together for the benefit of local communities.
“Agreeing the lease of Globe House for Warwickshire County Council means the library will now operate from here and the Alcester Museum will be able to stay.
“This proposal offers the opportunity to make better use of a public building whilst continuing to provide valuable services for a major settlement within the district.”
