A town’s new MP has been urged to step up and help deliver on a campaign commitment to save its historic library.

As part of what he described as five “key local priorities”, Labour’s Tony Vaughan called for the re-opening of Grace Hill library in Folkestone as part of the effort to boost high streets in his constituency.

The facility was “temporarily” closed in December 2022 after flooding made the Grade-II listed building unsafe, but it remains shut to this day and Kent County County (KCC) is now consulting on a move to an alternative site.

KCC is proposing to work with Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) on the relocation of library services to the Folca building, which was previously home to the town’s Debenhams department store and is now owned by the district council.

But now, in an open letter to Mr Vaughan, a senior Conservative county councillor has urged the new MP to seek to secure almost £3 million in funding necessary to re-open the Grace Hill site.

Cllr Dylan Jeffrey, who represents the Folkestone West ward on KCC, writes: “You stated in your election literature, and in hustings and on the campaign trail, that you would get Grace Hill library re-opened.”

He continues: “The repairs needed to re-open the Grace Hill building are now estimated to cost in the region of £2.9 million, an up-to-date figure compiled by a KCC surveyor in April 2024.

“Therefore, in line with your public commitment, and given the urgency of the situation, will you urgently seek and secure from the Labour government the £2.9 million funding needed to repair and re-open the Grace Hill library facility for use by the Library and Registration service?”

He concludes: “I look forward to you achieving and fulfilling your promise to the electorate of Folkestone and await your response.”

Reacting to the correspondence, which was also published on social media, Mr Vaughan told KentOnline he believes Cllr Jeffrey is engaging in political “game-playing”.

He said: “It beggars belief that he’s sending that kind of letter to me, because it’s his KCC that allowed it to run to wrack and ruin.

“He was part of the decision-making process. He was in the room when they decided to close it, notwithstanding that these previous reports [prior to 2022] had shown that the building was in good condition and it was allowed to rot, essentially.

“For him to then turn around and say, ‘You find this unrealistically large amount of money to sort out my mess’, frankly it beggars belief.”

Mr Vaughan says he hopes KCC remains open to exploring ways to work with community groups in Folkestone to develop a plan to restore Grace Hill to public use.

Despite KCC’s suggestion that Folca could provide a new home for the town’s library, FHDC has not signalled support for such a proposal at this stage.

Cllr Mike Blakemore, FHDC cabinet member for community and collaboration, said: “We shall be responding fully to Kent County Council’s consultation, but our preferred option is for the Grace Hill building to remain as a community hub and to include the facilities offered by the library service.”

Responding to the Folca proposal, he added: “No business case for its future use, even in part, by the county council has been brought forward or any terms agreed.”

Campaigners fighting for the return of library services to the Grace Hill site are urging local people to respond to the KCC consultation and oppose the permanent transfer to an alternative location in the town.

Jon O’Connor, from the Save Our Library group, said: “There are two key questions in the consultation. One, do you agree with the county council leaving the building? The answer is strongly disagree.

“Then they have a question which is about the proposal to go into Folca. The answer is strongly disagree.”

He added: “There's a clear sense that they [KCC] think that they can sell the [Grace Hill] building and collect the capital value of it.”

The Grace Hill library was built between 1886 and 1888, and in 1975 was given Grade II-listed status on the Historic England register of heritage buildings.