Plans to relocate what was once “one of London’s finest public libraries” to a new purpose built building have been given the green light by Kensington & Chelsea Council.

It has approved plans which would see a new North Kensington Library leave its home of more than a 100 years on Ladbroke Grove and move 50m to Lancaster Road, in a move which would also breath new life into a council-run youth club.

If its plans go-ahead, the new facility would open in 2019.

The council says the current building, which has been in use since 1891, is poorly insulated, expensive to heat and is also listed, which makes it hard to renovate to meet modern library requirements.

It is also spread over three floors, which makes access difficult for people with mobility issues and children.

It wants to move to Lancaster Youth Centre and redevelop the site. The council says the youth club is generally fit for purpose but is not energy efficient, relatively costly to run for its size and is not the most efficient use of a building type on this large site.

A spokesman said: “Redevelopment of the site, including part of the former Isaac Newton Centre’s car park, presents the opportunity to establish a new youth centre with improved facilities and to move the current library to a new, purpose-built, fully accessible building.”

The new library would have a larger floor space than the current library, with an improved range of books, magazines and newspapers as well as e-books to borrow, wi-fi and IT facilities, space for children’s activities, quiet study areas and meeting rooms for groups and public toilets with baby change facilities.

The council plans to lease out the Ladbroke Grove library, possibly for educational use, and commercial space on the upper floors of the new library to generate revenue to fund services.

Cllr Emma Will, the Royal Borough’s cabinet member for libraries, said: “North Kensington Library is a well-used facility with over 15,000 visitors a month.

“When it first opened in 1891 it was undoubtedly one of London’s finest public libraries but today its design makes it difficult to deliver a modern and fully accessible service.

“We have the opportunity minutes away to start from scratch and build the right kind of facility for all of our residents.”

Over the coming months architects will be appointed to come up with design options for the new library and youth centre.

The council hopes to enter a planning application in June next year, and have a decision by September. Work on the new library would start in early 2017 and be complete in 2019.

The council said the existing library would not close until a new one is ready for use.