PLANNERS Approve Ferry Office Expansion And ‘Digital’ Makeover For Port Glasgow Library

PROPOSALS to expand office accommodation and revamp library space at Port Glasgow’s historic Municipal Building have been given planning permission.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) have outgrown their office space on the first floor of the landmark premises in Fore Street and are expecting to increase staff numbers.

Inverclyde Council officials have now given approval for the ground floor — where Port Glasgow Library is located — to be reconfigured, splitting it between library and office use.

CMAL staff will have their own door, to the right of the current entrance. The existing main door will become the way in to the library only.

A new libary reception will be created in the foyer which will form part of a new-look open-plan library space.

CMAL currently employs 31 full-time members of staff with numbers due to increase over the coming months.

The new ground floor area will have desks for 20 employees plus a separate office and meeting rooms plus toilet, shower and tea-prep facilities.

A design statement submitted to the council explained: “The company’s operations at the Municipal Building have expanded rapidly over the last 10 years and have now outgrown the existing first floor office accommodation, with a growing need for more desks, meeting areas, and staff welfare space.

“CMAL is committed to the Inverclyde area and is extremely keen to maintain its presence in Port Glasgow.”

The document continued: “The internal sub-division on the ground floor will enable CMAL to expand their operations.

“The library would be reconfigured for the new sub-divided floorspace, with this new library layout placing more emphasis on computer facilities and providing space for new digital resources.

“It will also offer a bright, open atrium area for group activities such as school visits and Bookbug.

“Additionally, the parts of the first floor that are currently mezzanines and have an open aspect onto the atrium would be enclosed with glass and wooden framing.

“This would maintain the compartmentation of the private office space from the public library area.”

The statement added: “The growing prevalence of digital resources and comparative reduction in demand for in-person visits means that libraries require to devote less space to physical resources, and instead favour information technology resources.

“This proposal sees the overall floorspace of the library reduced in order to accommodate the expansion of an important business in the Inverclyde area.

“In line with increased demand for digital library services, the newly configured library will feature enhanced computer facilities and technological resources, therefore keeping the library up-to-date with modern requirements.

“Under the new layout, the library will gain the use of the currently communal entrance atrium. This means that there will be no reduction in the library’s physical capacity for books.”

CMAL owns ferries, ports, harbours and other infrastructure needed for ferry services on the west coast of Scotland, the Clyde Estuary and the Northern Isles. It is owned by the Scottish Government.