New Northampton library to be built as part of community centre extension

Wootton Parish Council has suggested the addition as part of the extension of its Curtlee Hill community centre.

Other facilities would include a community cafe and a local base for Northamptonshire Police, but the planning document newly submitted to the Guildhall emphasises the benefits of having a permanent base for its library.

Wootton Library is currently housed in a mobile building to the side of the community centre and, like other libraries in Northampton, faces an uncertain future due to county council cuts.

Extending the community centre would allow the parish council to run it in purpose-built surroundings

A council document describing Wootton's priorities as demonstrated by a consultation last year says: "[There was] concern for the forthcoming closure of the existing library and the requirement for the inclusion of the library facility in any proposed extension."

The extension is to be funded by the expansion of Wootton

The parish council has been allocated Section 106 monies from a number of housing developments which have been built over recent years .

The monies have allocated to be spent on community buildings only and unless they are spent the community will lose out on the available funding.