A development with a new library and nine homes in Brentwood is “nearing completion”. 

Essex County Council’s home building firm Essex Homes is behind the proposals at the site in Hutton Road, Shenfield. Bosses behind the project say the development is due to be completed this autumn. The homes will be one and two-bedroom. 

In March, a topping-out ceremony marked a key milestone in the construction of Shenfield’s new library, which marks the end of the external construction phase. 

The former library building was demolished in the summer of 2022, and construction work on the new library started in the autumn of that year. Library services in Shenfield are continuing during construction at the temporary library at Bishops Hill in Rayleigh Road, Hutton.

How the new library and homes could look How the new library and homes could look (Image: Essex County Council) The new library was set to open by spring 2024, according to Essex County Council’s website, but now the authority says construction should be completed soon. 

The former library was a 1960s brick building, and the new development provides ten car parking spaces, one for each residential unit and one for the library and with a space which would double up as a servicing and disabled bay. 

Once complete, the site will be home to a larger modern library, meeting room, a new public garden and an outdoor learning space. The new development will also create a flexible commercial space.

A spokesperson for Essex Housing said: “We’re excited that construction of the library and apartments are progressing well and nearing completion, with the development still expected to complete this autumn. Marketing of our homes will also begin shortly."

At the time demolition work began in July 2022, the home builder said the new library building "provides a new focal point for Hutton Road".

Deputy county council leader Louise McKinlay said then: "Once works have been completed, Shenfield Library will offer modern facilities for local residents, including a new outdoor green space, upgraded IT equipment, refreshed book stock and more."

For more information on how prospective residents can register their interest, visit www.shenfieldlibrary.co.uk.”