Wakefield Council is ‘in discussions’ with the government over the use of funding earmarked for the delivery of a new library and museum for the city, a meeting heard.

The authority’s deputy leader Jack Hemingway referred to the ongoing talks as he was questioned over delays in transforming Wakefield’s former British Homes Stores building into a £16m educational facility for residents.

The council acquired the building in 2021 and announced plans to relocate the current museum and library from its Wakefield One headquarters building, on Burton Street.

It came after the Labour-run council received £12m of Levelling Up money from the previous government.

Images of how the transformed building could look.

placeholder image — Images of how the transformed building could look.

Delivery of the project was delayed when asbestos was found in the building, which is part of The Ridings shopping centre, in January 2023.

Later the same year, the council said the scheme was on track to be completed by 2025.

Nick Farmer, Reform councillor for Osset ward, referred to the delays during a question to Coun Hemingway, who took over as portfolio holder for regeneration and economic growth last month.

During a full council meeting, he asked: “The former BHS site was acquired by the council in May 2021.

“In March 2022, the library and museum work, we were informed, would be finished in two years.

“The council had £12m of Levelling Up money from the Conservative government and £4m in council money.

“On January 17, 2023, there was a report that the project was riddled with asbestos and it was expected to be delayed six months, and that the asbestos would be cleared by April 2023.”

Coun Farmer then referred to a council statement from October 2023 which said the building would be completed in 2025.

Jack Hemingway, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth.

He asked: “The building has been unoccupied since BHS collapsed in 2016. How’s it going Jack?”

Coun Hemingway replied: “BHS has been a long running project. From my point of view we have to get this absolutely right.”

Coun Hemingway said council officers were “working behind the scenes to make sure the scheme does everything we need it to.”

He added: “Ultimately, we need to be able to deliver value for money for the rate payers of this district.

Work is ongoing to transform the old BHS store in Wakefield city centre into a new museum and library. LDRS image October 2023

“We don’t want to sign up to a plan that wouldn’t work. So a range of options are being considered as part of this.

“While we were grateful to receive the money from the previous government, some of the strings attached to that funding weren’t always the most helpful and did make it difficult to progress schemes because they were quite restrictive.

“We are in discussions with the government at the moment to see if we can be more flexible with that funding and use it to benefit the wider city centre projects as well.

“No decision has been made on that. There will be a report coming soon and I would be happy to update council at that time.”

The council previously said the new library and museum would provide a “dynamic, high quality, accessible place” for residents and wider visitors.

Plans include a café overlooking Wakefield Cathedral and a combined space for children and families.

Extra space is also expected to be provided to showcase more museum objects that are currently in storage and rarely seen.

The project is part of the Wakefield city masterplan, which aims to deliver improved facilities for residents and draw more visitors to the city centre.