THIS is how a transformed Swanley library will look after a £1 million refurbishment.

The building in London Road will house the first job centre in the Sevenoaks district as well as the Citizens Advice Bureau and West Kent Housing Association.

Kent County Council is making the facility into a Gateway where public and voluntary services can all be accessed under one roof.

Town councillor for Christchurch ward Cllr Victor Southern says the plans are a major boost for the town.

He told News Shopper: “It is a very significant thing for Swanley and we are very lucky to have been allocated this money.

“It will be the last Kent County Council pot of money available for something like this for a long time I should think.

“We need a job centre because we are not a wealthy community like Sevenoaks – we have a lot of people who live on the breadline here and need these facilities.

“The job centre will certainly be open for two and hopefully for three days a week.”

The library will have a revamped colour scheme and layout with more computers available and better disabled access.

Cllr Southern added: “It will be a much more inviting kind of place.

“We don’t want it to be a harsh kind of environment but a pleasant and prettily-decorated one.”

Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon will hold surgeries there once a month once work is completed, with the hope being it will start within three weeks and take around six months.

KCC say a temporary location for the library while the renovation is being carried out will be announced soon.

Residents can have their say on the plans by picking up a consultation form from the library or visiting kent.gov.uk/your_council/have_your_say.aspx by February 28.