New and refurbished libraries by authority

A note on the information on this page

The list was created partly with help from information supplied by the DCMS and from an article from ConservativeHome.  Updates on new projects are received via media reports and emails from councils and the public.  If the email is from the council, I take this at face value, otherwise I look for other references too.  If you spot any errors, I would be grateful if you could inform me.

List of new and refurbished UK Libraries

Two other places that may be of help is a report that looks at new libraries, and the reasons for them, produced byHerefordshire Libraries User Group and a comprehensive list produced by Designing Libraries.  This last resource can be accessed by clicking the logo on the right.

For the problems associated with new builds and refurbishments see here.

The Public Libraries News list is below.

2013 and beyond

1. Barnet – Church End Library may move circa 2016/16 into bottom of Finchley housing development, on rental basis, with existing library building sold.
2. Bath - Paulton Library Community hub.  Moved into shopping centre. Expected Spring 2013.  New (replacement).
3. Birmingham - Central - £188m.  Expected 2013. New (replacement).  Sutton Coldfield – improved children’s library and co-located council services – reopened May 2013 after closure for two years due to repairs.
4. Blackburn with Darwen - £2m upgrade of Blackburn Library starts (April 2013)
5. Bracknell Forest - £50k refit for Binfield Library.
6. Bradford - £1m new City Library due to old library having asbestos.  Money to be raised by saving on rents/maintenance (started May 2013, expected by end of 2013).
7. Brent - Willesden Green Cultural Centre – Combining library, museum, One Stop Shop, cafe.  Expected 2014 – Refurbishment. Civic Centre – combining council HQ/garden/registrars/retail – 2013 – New (replacement for Town Hall library).
8. Brighton and Hove.  Woodingdean Library to close March 2013, with new building merging library, community centre and medical centre. £500k on library (£1.6m overall) to be built.
9. Bristol – New library Junction 3 opened, £3m inc. computer suite and learning centre (March 2013).
10. Caerphilly - Caerphilly Library – with Customer Service Centre – 2013. New (replacement).
11. Calderdale - Halifax Central - Existing library to be bulldozed for new town centre development.  £10m replacement library to be built by Piece Hall by end of 2015, with some controversy.  New, replacement.
12. Cardiff - Canton Library is to undergo a £829,000 refurbishment in the next financial year.
13. Denbighshire - New Prestatyn Library to open in September (£550k from council, £300k from Cymal) in partnership “health and social care services, that will be able to use the counselling rooms, computer terminals and help desks”.
14. Derby - Local Studies Library – to be relocated from its current premises to part of the newly refurbished Old Magistrates Court building – May 2014 (source; email from council 6/2/13).
15. Derbyshire - New £2.4m Ashbourne library: co-located with day centre, exhibition space, a registrar’s office and ceremony room and office facilities for council officials (May 2013).
16. Devon - Exeter Central – £3.5m.  Expected 2013/4. From proceeds from sale of Exeter Airport.  Refurbishment. Sidmouth consultation on major refurbishment (18/2/13).
17. Doncaster – Central – £120k refurb – Feb 2013.
18. Dorset – Dorchester new co-located library/adult learning centre in Charles Street to open in June 2013. Replaces Colliton Park Library. Christchurch Library – £2m extension to open mid-May 2013.  20% more books. To be co-located with Adult Learning (saving £50k p.a.)
19. Ealing - Hanwell Library – £900k Refurbishment.  Due to reopen May 2013. Perivale library – £400k refurbishment. £900k to renovate Southall Library into Dominion Arts Centre.
20. East Ayrshire – New Auchinleck Library on 15th April 2013.
21. East Lothian - North Berwick – Refurbishment.  (info received by email from council).
22. East Sussex - Bexhill Library refurbished. (April 2013).  Hastings Library and register office: expanding library into neighbouring Brassey Institute.  Planning application to be submitted February 2013. Seaford - First Half 2014.  Combined with older people centre and assisted living flats. New (replacement). Newhaven to be refurbished and expanded (May 2013).
23. Essex – Springfield (Chelmsford) combined with youth centre. First new library in 25 years.  It is being staffed with volunteers from the start, with paid staff support – New.
24. Hammersmith and Fulham - Hammersmith Library £2m refurbishment 2013 “Hammersmith Library £2m merging with Record Office, with “more books, new furniture and shelving, self-issue terminals and music listening posts.”“
25. Havering - Rainham Library – New, colocation with flats and lifelong learning centre.  Expected to begin building early 2013. Harold Hill to be replaced with new building in shopping centre.
26. Hertfordshire – Borehamwood Community Complex – To replace Elstree Way library. Combined library/museum/youth/community centre. Harpenden Library to move into former Argos building. Combined with youth centre. (reported April 2013).
27. Islington - John Barnes – As part of property redevelopment.   New, replacement.  Expected 2014 or 2015.
28. Leicestershire – Market Harborough Library to be refurbished and expanded.
29. Liverpool – Central – £50m – Expected 2013. Refurbishment.
30. Manchester - Central – Expected Spring 2014. Refurbishment.
31. Milton Keynes - Kingston Library to be moved into new building, with shell completed October 2013.
32. North Tyneside - North Shields Central Library to reopen after £2.6m refurbishment (closed since Dec 2011 due to heating problems) (May 2013).  New library to be built in Wallsend as part of shared services building (reported April 2013).
33. North Yorkshire - Thirsk – Replacement.  To be co-located with housing for the elderly.
34. Northamptonshire - Kettering library £265k refurbishment to entrance, May 2013.
35. Northern Ireland - New Draperstown Library opened (twice the size of old one) – May 2013.
36. Northumberland - Amble Library refurbished, including co-locaton with Registrars, Social Care, meeting rooms. (April 2013).
37. Nottinghamshire - Further investment proposed : “A long-term £3.3 million programme will be presented to the county council’s culture committee today, outlining where the money will be spent.Libraries in Keyworth and Ollerton are planned to be revamped in 2014-15; Edwinstowe and Ruddington in 2015-16; and Langold, Arnold, and Newark between 2016-17 and 2018-19. It is also proposed to renovate Mansfield Woodhouse, Calverton, Ravenshead, Blidworth, and East Leake by 2022-23″. West Bridgford - £5.2m overhaul, opened March 2013. Refurbishment. Stapleford – Closed for seven months from March 2013.
38. Pembrokeshire – Central library and record office to be refurbished from Spring 2013.
39. Peterborough – Co-located leisure centre and library to replace Serpentine Green Library.  To be run by Vivacity. (2013).
40. Renfrewshire - Johnstone Library to move into all-purpose council building in Spring 2015.  New, co-located replacement.
41. Rochdale - Central Library reopens in council offices.
42. Sefton – Atkinson Centre Library opens inc. self-service, out-of-hours return, expanded children’s library, co-location with art gallery and tourist information centre. Early 2013.
43. Sheffield – Highfield – March 2013.  “.  Improvements include complete remodeling of the adult and children’s library, installation of a lift, additional computers for the People’s Network, a public toilet and a community space that allows for the provision of light refreshments.”.  Refurbishment.
44. Slough - Britwell – March 2013. Community centre including library, opened by the Queen.
45. Somerset - Yeovil – 2013 – refurbished inc. self-service, carpets, desk, shelving, new entrance and energy efficient lighting
46. Southend – Forum – August 2013.  Joint build with College and University.  New (replacement).
47. Stockton – Billington – 2013 onwards – Joint library/customer contact centre.  Source: comment below. New (replacement).
48. Surrey - Cobham – Cobham Library to be rebuilt as colocation with community centre as part of a property deal
49. Tower Hamlets – Ideas Store Watney Market – May 2013.  ” the first of the new generation of Idea Stores to bring library services together with multi-agency information services and a ’One Stop Shop’,  offering benefits to the local community in the areas of health and employment. “.  New (replacement).
50. Waltham Forest - £5m for Chingford, Leyton, Leytonstone and Walthamstow converting them to “Library Plus” to include libraries taking on “birth registrations, children’s centre activities and adult learning courses, as well as possibly including police meetings” – May 2013
51. Warwickshire – Southam Library to close, with library moving into co-location with many other council services (reported April 2013).
52. Westminster - Marylebone – Purpose-built library expected in 2015.  New (replacement).
53. Windsor and Maidenhead - New Dedworth library to open on 28th Jan (£625k) as joint school/public library – New (replacement/co-location). New library with a sensory room could be built at Boyn Grove Resource Centre (May 2013).
54. Worcestershire - (1) Pershore – £500k refurb from April 2013. Library now run by Town Council. Replacement.  (2) New mobile/library bus starts (March 2013) for library/council services.

2012: 34 new buildings (with 4 apparently being entirely new).

1. Birmingham - Shard End – £1.9m library and community centre. As part of redevelopment. June 2012. New.
2. Bracknell Forest - Bracknell – £500k refurbishment inc. cafe and laptop area.  September 2012.  Refurbishment.
3. Brent - Kilburn – £650k – reopening September 2012. Refurbishment.
4. Bromley – Orpington - May 2012 – £1.5m.  New (replacement).
5. Carmarthenshire - Llanelli - March 2012 – £3.8m.  Refurbishment.
6. City of London – Artizan Street Library and Community Centre, replacing demolished Camomile Street Library. Reopening 10th Dec.
7. Cumbria - Egremont – July 2012.  New (replacement).
8. Derby – Chaddesden – March 2013.  Built in Chaddesden Park, close to the current building which will be demolished.  Designed to be sympathetic to its parkland setting, and features green “living” roof, solar panels and rainwater harvesting.  £1.4m.  New (replacement).
9. Derbyshire – Ashbourne – March 2013.   Built on site of former health centre. New (replacement).
10. Devon – Passmore Edwards Centre (Newton Abbot) – June 2012.  Combined library with adult and community learning, cafe, meeting rooms.  New (replacement).
11. Dudley - £208k refurb of St Jame’s Road Library – Oct 2012.  Refurbishment.  Netherton Library moves into Savoy Centre – April 2012.
12. Durham – Crook Civic Centre - Old library used for development.  New (replacement).
13. East Lothian - Dunbar (June) and Tranent (October) libraries.  Both new (replacements).
14. Enfield - Millfield - May 2012.  New (replacement).
15. Halton - Market – 2012.  £550k. New (replacement for Runcorn Library).
16. Hertfordshire – Welwyn Garden Centre – Autumn 2012.  Refurbishment.
17. Hillingdon - South Ruislip – September 2012 – New (replacement).
18. Inverclyde - South West Library - November 2012 – £300k refurbishment.
19. Kent – Kent History and Library Centre – April 2012.  Replaced the Centre for Kentish Studies, East Kent Archives Centre, County Central and Maidstone (St Faiths Street) libraries. New (replacement). Edenbridge – will move into community centre 2012 – Move. Beaney (Canterbury) – September 2012, inc. galleries and museum – £14m – New (replacement).
20. Knowsley - Prescot Centre – April 2012.  £1.2m in combination with museum and One Stop Shop. New (replacement).
21. Lambeth - Clapham – £6.5m, built as part of deal with developers. July 2012.
22. Leicestershire - Forest East (Leicester) – August 2012.  New (replacement). £1.3m works in Loughborough Library so adult learning / disability help can also be based in building – November 2012. Refurbishment/co-location.
23. Newcastle - Simonside Community Centre – July 2012.  Move (library changed from purpose built council-run building to smaller space in partnership with community centre).
24. North Lincolnshire - Angel (previously Brigg) – June 2012. New (replacement).  Broughton – Summer 2012 – New.
25. North Somerset - Town Hall – October 2012.  Replaces Boulevard Library – New (replacement).
26. Northumberland - Spetchells Centre (Prudhoe) – £1.6m building includes library. April 2012.  New (replacement).
27. Nottingham – St Ann’s Valley Library – Along with doctors, youth services, housing services. August 2012.  New (replacement).
28. Oldham - Fitton Hill (Oldham).  In neighbourhood centre – July 2012.  New.
29. Peterborough - Orton - July 2012 – New (replacement).
30. Redbridge – Central – July 2012 – £1m refurbishment.
31. Rotherham – Central (Rotherham) – April 2012.  New (replacement).
32. Scilly - Porthcressa.  Expected end of 2012. New (replacement).
33. Sefton - Netherton Activity Centre (Netherton) – June 2012 – combines library with community centre.  New (replacement).
34. Surrey.  Woking – April 2012.  Refurbishment.
35. Sutton – Westcroft Leisure Centre (Carshalton) – December 2012.  New (replacement),
36. Wakefield - Wakefield One - Pictures. Combined with museum.  New (replacement).
37. Wales – Cymal has provided £1m funding for refurbishing eight libraries: Caerphilly, Baglan, Pontycymer, Bettws, Chirk, Mold, Prestatyn and Aberaeron – Refurbishment.
38. Walsall - Pelsall – Combined new health centre and library.  New (replacement).
39. Warrington – Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub - May 2012, co-location, opened by the Queen – New (replacement).
40. Wigan - Life Centre (Wigan), part of leisure centre.  New (replacement).
41. Wiltshire – Trowbridge – September 2012. By cafe and register office, will be part of new County Hall. New (replacement).
42. Worcestershire – The Hive (Worcester) – July 2012 – joint public and academic library. £60m funded by PFI.  Replaces Worcester Central Library and the University Library.  New (replacement).
43. York.  Rowntree Park Reading Cafe: cafe with 1000 books.  New.

2011: 15 new buildings (with 3 being apparently entirely new)

1. Barnsley - Hoyland Centre – August. Library/Council One Stop Shop.  Replacement.
2. Brent – Ealing Road - March 2011 – Refurbishment.
3. Cheshire West and Chester - Ellesmere Port – August 2011 – Refurbishment.
4. Derbyshire – Chesterfield – January 2012.  Refurbishment.
5. East Lothian - John Gray Centre in Haddington – March 2012.  New (replacement).
6. Edinburgh – Drumbrae – Adult day care, cafe, police, one stop shop.  January 2012.  New.
7. Hackney - Dalston CLR James - March 2012.  £4,4m. New (replacement).
8. Hertfordshire – Dolphin Yard (Hertford) – January 2012.  As part of deal with developers. New (replacement).
9. Kent. Ashford – July 2011 – As part of Ashford Gateway Plus -  New (replacement).  Gravesend – August 2011, £2.5m – refurbishment.
10. Lewisham - Deptford Lounge – Febuary 2012. New (replacement).
11. Lincolnshire - Wragby – Opened May 2011.  Alongside fire service.  Usage up 25%.
12. Milton Keynes - Woburn Sands - February 2012.  In partnership with town council, “more accessible”. New (replacement).
13. Newcastle - Jesmond – £40k – June 2011.  Refurbishment. Blakelaw – April 2011 – Refurbishment.
14. Nottinghamshire - Mansfield - January 2012. £3.4m.  Refurbishment.
15. Plymouth - Plympton – On site of old Woolworths store. With cafe (inc. Woolworths style pick ‘n’ mix) and one stop shop. February 2012.  Replacement for library destroyed by fire in 2008.
16. Portsmouth – Southsea – July 2011. New (replacement).
17. Southwark - Canada Water – £14m. December 2012.  New.
18. Staffordshire – Cheslyn Hay – February 2012.  In village hall extension.  New (replacement).
19. Stockton – Central – (source: comment below) Refurbishment of 1968 building with added contact centre, cafe, conference centre – Refurbishment.
20. Surrey – Dorking – January 2012.  See a walkthrough panoramic view of the library here.  New (replacement).
21. Telford & Wrekin - Wellington – Moved into leisure centre, one stop shop and register office.  New (replacement).
22. Warwickshire – Shire Hall (Warwick) – February 2012.  Moved from Barrack Street to cut costs. New (replacement).