A new cafe is set to open in Bolton Central Library as part of ambitious plans to transform the area including trebling the size of the children's section and creating a new mezzanine floor.
The £3.7million redevelopment of the library has been approved by the borough's planning officers and is one of the most ambitious projects to be undertaken in Bolton town centre over the coming months, with the council already having unveiled plans to move services to Crompton Place while work takes place.
As well as bigger and more modern children’s section and new café, the redevelopment will also include new toilet and baby changing facilities and an upgrade to mechanical services.
The plans include a new door
Head of services for libraries and museums Sam Elliott said: “The children and young people’s offer at Bolton Central Library has steadily grown over the past 20 years and our children’s book stop has a substantial turnover and we also have a wide programme of activities such as toddler tales and local history school sessions.
The plans will see and expanded children's section and a new mezzanine floor
“Our current space does not meet demand and we have a commitment that every child in Bolton should be a reader, therefore we are proposing to increase the size of the children and young people’s area so we can support literacy.
“We know that if we can get children reading at the earliest possible opportunity then they will become very successful adults living in Bolton.”
The plans have now been approved by Bolton Council
Ms Elliott said that the benefits of redeveloping the library will go beyond the venue itself and will also help to increase footfall around the town centre, attract more people to spend money in the area and will improve perceptions of Bolton’s cultural scene.
She also pointed out that the library is used by the community for much more than just borrowing books and that the mezzanine floor will help make spaces for more and more activities like reading groups, scrabble clubs and social events.
The work will be financed by the government’s £3.6 billion towns fund programme of which £22m has been handed to Bolton last year to regenerate the town centre.
The plans were approved unanimously by councillors at a meeting of the planning committee and work is now set to begin in the coming weeks.
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