The Stocksbridge Town Deal team have outlined their proposed timeline for the major transformation of the Manchester Road area in Stocksbridge.
A key part of the regeneration of the town centre is the brand-new Library and Community Hub building. The planning application for the town centre’s new anchor building is scheduled for submission next month.
Ahead of the application being submitted the Town Deal team will be engaging with local businesses in the Manchester Road area about the plans and the wider vision for this part of the town.
If the planning application is approved it is hoped that work can then start in May 2024 on the development site, delivering the brand-new landmark building which will house a modern new library as well as managed workspace and a skills and learning hub. There will also be flexible community space which it’s hoped can be used to provide services including pop-up banking.
Essential survey work around the development site is taking place throughout November in the run up to the application being submitted. The building has the working title of Stocksbridge 519 which relates to the street numbering on Manchester Road.
This initial planning application will be followed by applications for the shop front improvement scheme in the precinct area and the plans for a new town square as well as upgraded paving and planters.
Stocksbridge Town Deal Board Project Champion for the Library and Community Hub, Ian Sanderson, said: “The submission of the planning application for the new 35,000 sq ft building is a great milestone in the delivery of our project which is at the heart of the town’s regeneration.
“This sets the standard for our vision for Manchester Road which is going to be game changing for the town centre.”
Work has already started this autumn on the Oxley Park Improvement Project and a separate planning application will be submitted next month for an All Wheels Park which is also being funded through the Stocksbridge Town Deal.
Timeline to the town’s transformation: