The full shocking cost of making the current Bradford Central Library building safe to use is revealed by the Telegraph & Argus today.

And the figure of £4m undoubtedly casts doubt over the future of the building in its current location.

Councillor Dave Green, the Council’s executive member responsible for culture, has warned that all options now need to be looked at.

The question has to be asked as to whether there is any viable prospect of that money being found and the repairs being carried out on the Prince’s Way building.

And if not, there are two supplementary questions of vital importance. One, how and where will the Council fund and set up a new central library? And two, what will happen to the imposing eight-floor building that is left behind?

Coun Green suggests one option for the existing building would be sale for development to the private sector.

But would a business really want to take on a building that needs £4m of work just to make it safe to use?

One further question that the Council Tax payers of Bradford deserve an answer to is just how this was allowed to happen.

Presumably this is a situation that has been building for some time, so has essential work been put on the back burner over the years?

Given the age of the building, it may be unfair to level it purely at the current administration, but they are the ones in the hot seat at the moment, and they are the ones who must provide the answers.

Let us hope that the solution to this problem is carefully thought out and better planned than the schedule of maintenance of the Central Library seems to have been.