Politicians toured the former Hyde Library building on Monday morning to see for themselves the current state of the structure.

The library has laid derelict for a number of years and has fallen victim to vandalism, with lead stripped from the roof resulting in water damage to much of the inside, while youths are believed to have started a fire at the premises in recent months.

As reported earlier this year, the council has approved plans to find a new use for the iconic Union Street building, which opened in 1899, but has been standing empty since the library service was moved to the town hall in 2015.

Council Leader Cllr Ged Cooney said there had been a lot of interest in the building, with possibilities including redeveloping the site as a care home, apartments and cafe.

He was one of the group joined by Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds to inspect the inside of the building, just one site in Hyde which it is hoped will form part of a new masterplan for the town.

Head to our Facebook page to see a short video to take a look inside the building. 

There will be more pictures and a full story in this week's Tameside Reporter, out on Thursday (11 August). 

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