Sheffield library could be transformed with cafe and offices to secure its future

Volunteers who run Walkley Library on South Road say it needs to become more viable and there needs to be improvements to preserve the listed building.

Walkley Carnegie Library, a registered charity, was set up in 2014 by a group of local residents who came together to run the service in response to the council’s library closure programme.

True North, which runs a number of pubs across the city including The Forum and The Devonshire, was originally granted planning permission to add a cafe and bar to the library.

However, the company ‘reluctantly’ withdrew from the scheme back in 2018.

The £1.3 milllion development, in conjunction with WCL, would have seen a two-storey rear extension with a mezzanine built.

True North said at the time it was withdrawing so ‘the commercial aspect can be reviewed and new partnerships investigated if appropriate’.

Now WCL, which is entirely voluntary, with no paid staff, has applied for planning permission to alter and extend the building to create a cafe and business units.

Soul Architects says in a planning application: “The project will be delivered in partnership with Walkley Heritage, a newly formed company by local business partners looking to provide office spaces and services to the community.

"The two organisations are mutually complementary and share a common goal in bringing back to life a tired and redundant historic building under a financially sustainable complimentary use for the wider benefit of the community.

"The library will be supported to ensure that it continues to provide a service and an outlet for community projects and activities.

"The building was constructed as a purpose built library providing valuable facilities to the community. It's in need of significant investment to provide a standard of accommodation to meet modern needs.

"In addition, the building needs to be economically viable and generate an appropriate level of income. To achieve this, additional mezzanine floors have been introduced together with an extension to the rear.

"In order to remain economically viable WCL will need to hold some evening events and activities and will need to hire out the building on Sundays.

"For four years WCL have rented the building out to a church with an income of £3,000 per annum."

The library

WCL will carry on with the adult lending, adult reference, children’s library and groups.

An e-book service will be developed and there will be a new programme of events and activities alongside those already taking place - Story Time, Baby Time, Paper Pastimes, book sales, Stitches and Stories, Small Voices, Big Noises, councillor's surgeries and use as a polling station.

The library provides computers and wi-fi that can be used for free, newspapers, reading and research areas, there will be desks available for public use, small temporary exhibition spaces, meeting spaces and accessible toilets.

Soul Architects says: "As well as the book stock from the council, WCL has its own blue sticker book collection which is extremely popular.

"These are books purchased by WCL and means that the library can have the latest best sellers on the shelves as soon as they are published - the new Margaret Atwood book The Testaments published recently is already available for borrowing."

The cafe

A cafe would be within the commercial area of the building, over two floors, along with an outdoor terrace area.

It would cater for 94 diners and the office tenants and library volunteers would get a discount.

The cafe would be open to the public and have its own entrance so that it can open at times when the library is closed, and it would also provide catering for library events.

The proposed opening hours are Mondays to Thursdays, 10am-8pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10am–10pm and Sundays, 10am–4pm

The business units

Walkley Heritage would operate a commercial venture in the remaining areas of the building.

This would include 14 business units to attract new start-up businesses and those from the community and in further education that need guidance to develop their business interests and ideas.

The planning application says: "Andrew Eyre and Amar Zarif are the shareholders and directors of Walkley Heritage and operate an accountancy practice and a law firm respectively and will provide daily support to the tenants, occupying units on site themselves for the first two years of the project.

"They will be supported by several staff members from AR Accountants and Zarif Solicitors.

"Both Andrew and Amar have considerable experience of working on large projects including budget and staff management.

"WHL’s aim is that the commercial venture becomes a hub for new businesses looking to develop and grow providing employment and investment in the local community."

The building

The exterior would be ‘sympathetically repaired’ to reflect its historical significance.

The interior would have the modern suspended ceilings removed to display the timber trusses and original volume of the space.

The planning application says: “The building is in need of repair and restoration. WCL is managed and run by volunteers, it is an organisation that is bedded into the fabric of the community.

"In partnership with WH, the library will be developed to improve the library space and services provided as well offering support to local businesses.

"Walkley Carnegie Library is a purpose-built library providing spaces suited to a very different period of time.

“The lending library has massive community support and it is important to keep this facility in public use.

"The layout of the building and location of the site present many challenges but without a sustainable long term use, the listed building will have an uncertain future.

"The proposals repair the external fabric of the building maintaining the historic appearance.

"The alterations have been carefully considered to limit the impact on the historic fabric.

"The development provides a considered approach balancing the historic significance and the need to secure a long-term sustainable future for the listed building."

The planning application can be viewed at bit.ly/2RgGzEM

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