Wood Street Library

The new Wood Street library is due to open on the 18th April if it is ready. Having toured it today my guess is it will miss the date but not by much! It is long and thin on the ground floor adjacent to the Coop. It will have access to the plaza with a coffee shop as part of the library.

So what of the old library ......

At the Cabinet Meeting on the 5th December Councillors agreed it should become the Families & Homes Hub. Follow these links to find out more:

Families and Homes Hub

Block Plan

Decision:

Cabinet Meeting 16th January 2020:

(1)       approved the proposal to deliver a Families & Homes Hub on the current Wood Street Library site, part funded by an enabling residential development, noting that the Library will remain open at its current site until it relocates to a new purpose-built facility at Marlowe Road scheme in Spring  ...  view the full decision text for item 10.

Minutes:

Councillor Williams introduced the report describing the proposals in the report as a good approach. 

Councillor Miller stated that the proposals future proofed the Council’s services and gave thanks to Aiden McManus – Commercial Director of Property and Delivery, Stewart Murray – Strategic Director for Economic Growth and Housing Delivery, Ms Flinders and their respective teams. 

The Leader referred to the importance of considering how we use resources in challenging times and making it easy for people to use them especially should they be vulnerable. 

Cabinet:

(1)       approved the proposal to deliver a Families & Homes Hub on the current Wood Street Library site, part funded by an enabling residential development, noting that the Library will remain open at its current site until it relocates to a new purpose-built facility at Marlowe Road scheme in Spring 2020;

(2)          approved a Project Delivery Budget of up to £3 million to fund the project management, design, procurement and other costs required to deliver the new Families & Homes Hub and enabling oversite residential development;

(3)          following a full options appraisal, delegate authority to the Commercial Director – Property and Delivery, in consultation with the Strategic Director of Finance & Governance, to select the optimal procurement and delivery route for the project and to commence the procurement process; and

(4)          noted that this part of Walthamstow and Wood Street is changing rapidly. Master planning work is being undertaken to provide a clear framework for the regeneration of the Wood Street/Forest Road Junction and Forest Road Corridor, including the early stage proposal for a new Children’s Cultural Centre as part of the Willow House redevelopment.A number of other key sites will come forward over the next few years for intensification, development and new homes.