New library and doctors’ surgery planned for Woodingdean

Woodingdean’s residents are set to benefit from a new library and doctors surgery at the site of the existing library on Warren Road.

Brighton and Hove City Council‘s cabinet members are expected to approve the proposed development next week and work could start in April 2012 with the new facilities ready for spring 2013.

Woodingdean’s current library, which was built in 1959 as a so-called temporary building, is deemed to be half the recommended size for an area with Woodingdean’s population.

The 111 square metre building, which served 23,000 people last year, is to more than double in size in the proposed development, which would include an ICT suite and a community room.

The council has been working with the NHS to include a doctors’ surgery at the site to improve on the facility offered at the converted house on The Ridgeway, which has seen patient numbers outgrow the building, which has poor access. The new surgery would be 610 square metres.

Two earlier attempts to deliver a new library in Woodingdean have failed, but the new scheme involves the creation of a ‘Special Purpose Vehicle’ to which the council grants a 125-year lease. The council, which retains the freehold, would rent the library for free from ‘MedCentres’ and the surgery would pay the going rental rate through the NHS.

Cabinet councillor for culture Geoffrey Bowden said: “This would be great news, especially during these difficult economic times. When we speak to local people they want a bigger library building, more stock and better learning facilities. So does the council. This could be an imaginative way to do it.

“A new building would also be more environmentally sustainable and we would like to get the community more involved in running a bigger, better library. With the doctors we could provide improved health information and sharing costs makes the whole thing much better value for both of us.”

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Posted by Joseph Lewis on November 2, 2011. Filed under Council News,Latest News,Woodingdean. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry