Maidenhead library to be refurbished
Report says it's in 'a poor state of repair'
Last updated 6th Oct 2026
The Royal Borough has greenlit plans to refresh the look of Maidenhead Library, which, according to planning documents, is in a ‘very poor state of repair’.
The council’s property services department is looking to carry out improvement works to the town centre library in St Ives Road, a Grade II listed building dating back to the 1970s.
As part of the proposals, the library will be cleaned and refurbished with landscaping repairs and redecorating.
“The building is in a very poor state of repair, and this project allows for much-needed investment in what is a well used and highly visible public building,” the application said.
The library’s brickwork will be jet-cleaned, and any cracking will be repaired.
The external doors and windows will also be repaired and redecorated.
Brian Davies, the chair of the planning group at Maidenhead Civic Society, said: “It is regrettable that this listed civic building has been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent.”
The society supports all applications that look to maintain listed buildings in good condition without affecting their appearance, he added.
Mr Davies said: “Such steps should be taken before such buildings and structures deteriorate to the extent that they are no longer fit for purpose.”
When renovations like this are undertaken, it is frequently found that ‘unknown defects come to light’, he added.
He said: “It is hoped that the council has allocated sufficient funds to address any such defects as and when they are discovered, without the need to return later to address them, causing further disruption to library users.”
The planning application said that the changes will ‘not affect how people use, remember, or value the building or its setting’.