The DUP representative has been engaging with the Department on this issue for some time, and said:

“I am delighted that the site for the new library facility at the junction of Scarva Road and Downshire Place, Banbridge has now been completed. This is a vital step forward for this exciting project and I am pleased that having secured the site, the new library can move to the next stage.

The local library is a much loved community space, and whilst its primary function is to provide opportunity for access to books, libraries are so much more. They offer a space for people to meet, to learn new skills, to conduct research and to learn. It offers so many positives, but the facility must be up to the standards that the customer and service user expects.

I am really excited about this project and cannot wait to we see the new library become a reality. I will continue to engage with the Department and Libraries NI throughout the process so that momentum continues with the new library development.”