Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) is proposing to move Stotfold Library from its current location in the Simpson Centre, just off the Hitchin Road, to the Greenacre Centre, to the south of the Co-op.

The proposed new site is roughly the same distance from Fairfield as the existing library, but it is much more central within Stotfold and it is intended that the combination of the new location and additional space – the proposed new area is between three and four times that of the current library – will provide the opportunity for the library to become a ‘community hub’ with scope to hold a range of events which the current space cannot accommodate.

The larger space would also be used to house a larger collection of books as well as including a study space, a better-equipped IT zone, more seating, and a cafe area. Food and drinks are to be provided by Box of Cakes, the privately run café which is currently located next to the existing library building and which would re-locate if the proposals go ahead. The Greenacre Centre also has public and accessible toilets, which the current library does not have the space to provide, and better provision of parking spaces.

We understand that there is some concern from local residents about the loss of the sports hall that currently occupies the space, and the hirers who operate there. CBC states in the consultation documents that the hall is not popular with hirers and those who do use it can easily be accommodated nearby, but any residents who currently run or attend events in the Greenacre Centre may want to look at those proposals in more detail.

For more information, including images of the proposed layout, visit: http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations.

The consultation closed on 28 July.