THE cost of a huge new library and history centre in Worcester should stay within original cost projections, despite land prices being higher than expected.

Worcestershire County Council said it was confident that the final scheme - to be built in The Butts as part of University College Worcester's Castle Street expansion - could be altered to meet the £50m estimate.

It will ask the Government to back its bid for up to £15m of private finance initiative (PFI) funding to help pay for the project and cover a £3m shortfall.

The centre will store books and records from the Foregate Street city library, the Chamber of Commerce, Worcester College of Technology and UCW.

Too early

"It's too early to say whether it's going to be over the top, we don't really know. It depends on what we can raise in funding," said the council's director of corporate services, Trevor Norton.

Retail elements of the project, which would require extra land to be bought, are most likely to be dropped.

Councillors agreed the PFI bid should be made - alongside applications for Heritage Lottery cash - and that a working group should reconvene to work on the scheme.

"We are making progress - we've got to the stage where we are able to make bids to quantify it," said Coun Adrian Hardman, cabinet member for finance.

"I agree it's time to revisit the cross-party group so we can nail down the issues about usage."

Coun Peter Pinfield, leader of the opposition Labour group, said it was right that officers had been given time to work on the scheme which would become a "jewel in the crown of the historic city centre".

A limited company could be created to allow the county council and UCW share the management of the library.

The two organisations will also appoint a joint project manager to progress work on its creation, ahead of opening in 2009.

Will this project be of benefit to Worcester? We want to hear your views. Write to Letters, Evening News, Hylton Road, Worcester WR2 5JX.