Penryn Town Council faces a £40,000 repair bill after agreeing on Monday to continue with its plans to take over the running of the town's library.

Councillors have received a building survey, carried out as the town council looks to take control of the library as part of Cornwall Council's programme of devolution, which showed eight items of maintenance that need to be carried out.

The report showed problems ranging from roof cleaning and faulty guttering to a disconnected boiler, and said it was likely that all the windows would need replacing.

At the meeting on Monday night, the mayor Mark Snowdon said he had read the report and there was "no alarm" over anything contained within it.

And councillors followed the recommendations of the town clerk, Michelle Davey, noting the report and confirming their intention to continue with negotiations over the devolution of the library building and service.

In a letter accompanying the survey RTP Surveyors said the building, built in 1991, was constructed to "a very high standard," but there had been "a significant lack of maintenance" over recent years.

The eight problems listed were: the roof is in need of cleaning, the guttering is in need of an overhaul, the windows almost all have failed double glazing, and there are necessary external timber repairs. The flue to the boiler is too close to a timber duct and represents a fire risk, and the boiler has been disconnected due to an inadequately sized gas meter, there is evidence of damp, and a need for internal and external decoration.

The surveyors added: "While the premises are being obtained at a discounted price, this takes account of the responsibility and liability to run the premises. It is unlikely that it would take account of the defective state of repair of the premises."

However, Miss Davey said that although the estimated cost of the work would be £40,000 excluding VAT, Cornwall Council had said it would address the problems with the boiler before the library was handed over, and there are other sources of funding available as well.

In a joint statement, Penryn Town Council and Cornwall Council said: "We are not surprised that an old building of this nature will need work carrying out. The survey report highlights eight items, although not all of the works will necessarily need to be done in the next financial year and the work on the boiler will be carried out before the building transfers from Cornwall Council to Penryn Town Council.

"In any situation where a town council is taking on the freehold transfer of a building they would undertake their own building survey and there are a number of funding sources available to assist the devolution of assets and services.

"This is new and exciting ground for both Penryn Town Council and Cornwall Council, with Penryn Library being one of the library devolution priority sites.

"This is being achieved by both councils working closely and positively together in order to maintain this important service on behalf of the community."

Miss Davey added: "The town council has set aside a budget of £40,000 to fund the move to the library should a transfer be agreed, and in addition, Cornwall Council has set aside a one-off devolution fund which cites the devolution of libraries and One Stop Shops as the top priority. 

"The Falmouth and Penryn Community Network Panel will be receiving a presentation on the mechanism for allocating the fund at its meeting on Tuesday 22 March."