A town’s library could be moved into a shop last used by high street giant Wilko.

Banbury Library is currently based in a Grade II listed building in Marlborough Road and was used by almost 79,000 people in 2023/24.

But Oxfordshire County Council, which rents the building, said it is had spent £100,000 on “reactive maintenance” in four years, and bringing it up to scratch could cost more than £2m.

It said a unit in Bridge Street, which had been disused since Wilko closed last September, would be more suitable.

The council said the Bridge Street property was “not actively being marketed” but a price had been negotiated with its owner.

The plan to buy the unit was approved by the council’s cabinet member for finance Dan Levy on Friday.

The authority previously considered moving into the Castle Quay shopping centre, which is owned by Cherwell District Council and is opposite the Bridge Street shop.