'To see the library a year on, the way it is now is lovely... I never expected it'

IT WAS dubbed the “library of the future” when Spellow Hub reopened to the public in March 2023 after a lengthy wait.

- By DAVID HUMPHREYS

After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the library and community space was left shuttered long after restrictions were lifted as a planned refurbishment of the space took longer than expected.

What was once a tired-looking building only open three days a week became a light, bright new space with accessibility, new toilets and smart classrooms.

The Liverpool Council scheme was part of a wider regeneration of the County Road area which featured in a 10-year plan for Walton - part of one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

The future, much like the sparkling paint and colourful displays inside, seemed bright.

This was until one of the darkest days in Merseyside’s recent history brought destruction to the surrounding area.

In the aftermath of the killing of three little girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance club in Southport last July, people took to the streets in Walton, targeting County Road on Saturday August 3.

Fires were started in bins and skips up and down the road, with various outbreaks of violence as police moved people who had gathered back.

There had been plans - shared on far-right social media channels - for people to gather near a mosque on the street, and police said that shortly after 9pm “a number of people including youths began throwing objects at police vehicles”. Shortly after 11.30pm flames were visible inside the Spellow Hub, a library which reopened last year and provides support for people of all abilities to gain education and a path to employment.