Stockport Council has agreed to an estimated £4.3 million programme of renovation and repairs to the town’s Central Library as part of its commitment to retain the building for public use.
The future of the Grade II listed was put in doubt by the decision to deliver a £14.5 million library and community cultural hub in Merseyway Shopping Centre following an award of Future High Streets funding from Westminster. Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Hunter, confirmed earlier this year, however, that some library services, alongside the council’s adult education services would be retained at the historic building to ensure continued public access.
During a meeting of Stockport Council’s Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee on 6th September, councillors agreed to works estimated to cost the borough £4.3 million , split between necessary repairs to the building, and renovations to meet the needs of its proposed new uses.
Work on renovation of the Central Library building is not expected to begin until the new Stockroom learning and development hub completes and opens in Merseyway in late 2023.
The retention of a library offer for the historic building follows public concerns that the loss of services from Central Library would jeopardise access to this cultural asset for future generations; a public consultation on the provision of book borrowing and other services from the planned Stockroom hub was overwhelmingly positive.
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