Former library near Wigan is now up for sale for £200k

Billinge Library was once a hive of activity, with people borrowing books, seeking information and taking part in activities.

But it closed in March 2020 when the pandemic began and structural issues with the building meant it did not reopen.

St Helens Council’s cabinet rubber-stamped plans to close the library, along with Garswood and four others, in a shake-up of services in 2023.

The library site on Main Street is now being advertised for sale by Parkinson Real Estate, priced at £200,000 for the freehold.

Its website says the “irregular-shaped site” covers 0.2 acres and there is a “single-storey building of traditional brick construction”.

But it warns: “Please note the building is currently unsafe at present and therefore internal viewings of the property are unable to be undertaken.”

The library is marked as a “redevelopment opportunity” on the website.