£4m repairs at British Library

The £500million British Library, which was opened by the Queen only six years ago, is already in need of major repairs and upgrading, it can be revealed today.

The library is seeking more than ?4million from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to meet the cost of works that include a revamp of its airconditioning and lighting systems, which are vital to protect priceless items such as the Magna Carta.

The library's treasure trove of historic manuscripts must be kept at temperatures between 17 and 18C or they risk being irreparably damaged.

Experts claim the reason for the premature failure is that many of the systems were designed more than a decade before the building's official opening.

Engineers have already been appointed to compile a report detailing the work that needs to be done.

Library chiefs have applied to the culture department for the extra funding for the financial years 2006/7 and 2007/8 and estimate that the current systems will hold out for about another five years. They will get an answer in November.

A library spokeswoman confirmed that the air-conditioning units needed overhauling and its analogue air-distribution systems replaced by digital versions. She said the lighting-control system needed upgrading.

She insisted that all current systems were "fully functional".

"But by 2006 these systems will have been in use for 10 years," she said. "Unsurprisingly, they will need upgrading. We also want to ensure we have the most energy-efficient systems in place."

Money is also to be spent on problems that should not affect such a recent building, including repointing of brickwork.

The issues came to light at a forum of property managers organised by the magazine Property Week. John De Lucy, head of estates and facilities at the British Library, said that if the money was made available, the British Library would go out to tender for "major capital works".

He added that he hoped that parts of the library would not have to be closed during the works. "The British Library was designed to last 150 years," he said. "A lot of our equipment is at the end of its life."

The revelation sparked anger and dismay among MPs today. Labour MP Derek Wyatt, who sits on the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said: "This is a joke. It is unbelievable that the system needs work already.

"These books are some of the rarest in the world so of course the library must be given the money to sort the situation out.

"But we need to see what the legal redress is.

"We need to find out what sort of insurance cover there might be."

Fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant said: "The building has only been open for a minute - it's incredible that there are major problems already.

"I am a big fan of the British Library, and our literary and manuscript heritage is vital.

"They will have to be bailed out. But the British Library will have to prove that taxpayers will be getting value for money."