Plans to turn former city library into apartments submitted

Plans to turn the former site of Stoke-on-Trent’s main library into housing have been submitted to the council.

Four storeys are set to be added to the City Central Library building to create 106 apartments.

A gym is proposed as well as commercial space that could become a restaurant, café, nursery or shop.

The library, on Bethesda Street, Hanley, shut last month and services will be available at the new venue at Two Smithfield in September.

At the old site, the proposed gym is earmarked for the basement and a planning statement, submitted as part of the application, said the additional storeys would be atop the existing, above-ground, five-storey building.

The project from Hanley Library Redevelopment Ltd proposes a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application said: “The applicant proposes to directly redevelop the site and they have a strong track record of delivering high quality residential schemes in North Staffordshire, most recently obtaining planning permission in 2022 to convert and extend upwards the former Newcastle-under-Lyme Library on Ironmarket, which is due to be completed in Summer 2023.

“The proposed conversion and extension of the building seeks to increase the height of the existing building in order to make it a substantially taller building. Four additional storeys would be provided above the existing five above-ground storey building, resulting in this building becoming a more prominent landmark building in this part of the city centre.

“It is intended that the applicant would retain ownership of the application site and rent out the apartments. As such the proposal would comprise a Build to Rent scheme.

“The city council have in place plans to relocate the city library into the Two Smithfield building and the archives to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, therefore, the proposed development would not result in a net loss in community facilities within the immediate area. Indeed, the provision of additional city centre living, which would be focused on attracting young professionals to the city centre, would likely support existing community facilities in the immediate surrounding area, bringing increased social benefits.

“The proposed development would comprise a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments. There is considered to be a significant identified need for one and two bedroom apartments, not only within the city centre but within Stoke-on-Trent as a whole, and (the) site’s highly sustainable city centre location provides an ideal location for the target demographic to live, particularly as it provides an opportunity for high quality rental accommodation to be provided.”