Library move planned to provide modern facility in city centre

Exciting proposals have been unveiled for Stoke-on-Trent’s City Central Library to move into a modern new home at the nearby Smithfield development.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s plans include relocating the facility to a large ground floor space at Two Smithfield, which will offer greater flexibility to provide a range of services.

The proposals will form part of the city’s wider transformation, which includes Smithfield’s new £17.5 million Clayworks apartments and the £20 million Hilton Garden Inn – both expected to be completed in the summer – as well as the East West Precinct redevelopment, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery upgrade and several other regeneration projects.

City Central is the main library for Stoke-on-Trent and offers services including book lending, computer access and children's activities.

The library’s current home, which is opposite John Street car park, is almost 50 years old and has become outdated and expensive to run. The proposed move will create modern facilities, as well as generating revenue savings in the region of £100,000 a year. 

The proposed new location for the library is a three-minute walk away from the current building and is close to the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

The current library site would officially be put up for sale from February 2020. A use for the building would then be identified to maximise its potential in the city centre and help to transform the city for generations to come.

Councillor Lorraine Beardmore, cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure, said: “These fantastic plans will help City Central to provide a modern service for customers, delivering a wide range of services at their library.

“With everything from e-books and e-magazines, to job search facilities and children’s activities, the future for this new site is really positive and these proposals will create a wonderful facility with a fantastic atmosphere. As we move forward, we’re looking forward to getting our library users’ views and we’re very excited about making these plans a reality as part of the continued transformation of the city.

“We’re looking at options for more additions to this area and we want it to become a social space where people can meet up with friends, read a good book or just watch the world go by. The library will be another fantastic place for people to have this experience in the city centre. We’re also very hopeful that there will be significant interest in the Bethesda Street site.”

As part of the plans, the City Archives service – currently on the top floor of the Bethesda Street library  – would move to the nearby Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

If the plans are approved, work on the new library at Two Smithfield would be expected to start in the spring. Following a consultation with library users, the services and all staff would be relocated later in the year.

The current library and the new facility are expected to be closed for about four weeks later in the year while the relocation is finalised. During this time, services at the city’s other libraries will still be available to all members. The City Central service will then reopen in Two Smithfield.

Capital investment of £1.5 million would fund the move and the plans are expected to create revenue savings of £100,000 a year.

Library users will be given more information about the relocation plans over the next few months.