Stockport’s Central Library is set to move from its historic home to a new £14m hub despite a ‘mixed’ public response to the controversial proposals.
Generations of readers have enjoyed the Grade II listed library off the A6 but it appears that the end of an era is now in sight.
A new council report recommends transferring services from the Georgian building to a modern ‘learning and discovery’ centre at Merseyway financed by the government’s Future High Streets Fund.
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Provisionally dubbed 'Stockroom', the 'cultural and community venue' at Adlington Walk would also house facilities including drop-in services, event space and a cafe.
The report, which goes to cabinet next month, reads: “It is recognised that there is strong affection for both the building and the service that has been provided from there for the last 100 years.
"However, it is felt that there has not been a sufficiently compelling argument made to keep the service in the existing building when balanced against the opportunity to provide a new community facility on the scale of Stockroom in Merseyway and the difficulties in providing an enhanced offer in Central Library building.”
Some backlash is likely given nearly 7,500 people have signed an online petition against the move, arguing ‘there is only one use for the Central Library building and that is its designed purpose as a public library’.
It comes after an eight-week consultation failed to produce an overwhelming consensus either for or against the ‘Stockroom’ plan.
In a face-to-face survey of 566 residents, 47pc agreed with the proposal, while 29pc disagreed and a further 25pc were undecided.
However, an online survey completed by 1,752 residents produced a different result.
Some 55pc opposed the move, while 38pc were in favour of moving services. A further 7pc had no preference or ‘didn’t know’.
People aged 65 and over were ‘significantly’ more likely to disagree with the proposals, but 65pc of children thought it was a good idea.
However the report to cabinet says there would be no negative impacts on older and disabled people should the library be moved.
It adds: “Whilst the consultation revealed that in general, older people and those with a disability or long-term health condition disagreed with the proposal to move Central Library services to Stockroom, it was widely acknowledged that the proposals for Stockroom would be likely to make library services more accessible.
“This would be to people with a disability and other groups such as families with young children, people from ethnically diverse communities and LGBTQ+ people.
“The opportunity to widen participation from under-represented groups that comes with modernising a service and offering wider-ranging facilities that would not be possible in the Central Library building should be given weight when considering the proposals.”
The report also acknowledges that the Central Library building ‘is cherished’ by Stockport residents and sets out a number of potential future uses.
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Five options have been put forward for the library after services are transferred to Stockroom.
These include:
- Moving the Adult Education Service from Hardman Street
- A new primary healthcare facility for the town centre
- A new community enterprise space in the town centre
- Aco-working/shared workspace
- Relocation of the Coroner’s Court from Mount Tabor
These uses will cost roughly between £3m and £4m, with more work being required to explore the business cases in detail.
Town hall chiefs will also need to talk with the potential occupiers of the building.
If the library service is removed from the current building, bosses say the earliest it could be brought back into use is likely to be early 2024.
Any arrangements with future occupiers would ensure ‘regular public access to the building’, with the details to be finalised once its new use is decided.
A further report is to be brought to cabinet next summer before a final decision is made on the future use of the building.
The proposals will be discussed at an informal meeting of Central Stockport Area Committee on Wednesday night (November 17).
Representatives of the Save Stockport’s Historic Central Library campaign, which is organised by Stockport United Against Austerity, will make a presentation and respond to questions from Councillors.
