A BID to move Ledbury Library into the Master's House in St Katherine's looks close to collapse.

Herefordshire Council says English Heritage has set stringent limits on what can be done to the historic building, making the conversion to a library difficult.

Now the search is on for a new building to house the library. The council wants to move it from the Elizabeth Barrett Browning Institute, which does not meet recently introduced disabled access laws.

A possible site, identified by Don Rule, Herefordshire councillor for Ledbury, is the youth centre off Bye Street.

The premises would be expanded to house both the library and the youth centre, while the unadopted road leading to the building could be taken on by Herefordshire Council.

County lawyers are currently attempting to establish who owns the pot-holed road and the possibility of bringing it into council ownership.

Questioned by town councillor Keith Francis at a meeting last week, Coun Rule said: "We are having considerable difficulties in moving the library into the Master's House.

"English Heritage has told us that we cannot remove walls to create an open area."

Some of the panelled walls dividing existing small rooms are Victorian, but others are Georgian or older.

But Coun Rule still pledged Herefordshire Council is keen to develop the medieval building one way or another.

It could still re-house Ledbury's Tourist Information Centre, currently in rented accommodation in the Homend.

The Grade II * listed building could also house a one-stop shop for council services.

Several town councillors expressed fears that Ledbury's existing library could be centralised, meaning that books and staff would move to Hereford.

But Coun Rule replied: "We don't want to centralise. It's not our proposal to do so."

He said the present library could continue in its current location until a new site could be found.

"Ledbury will not run out of a library," he added.