A positive step has been taken for the future of Tunstall achieved with the agreement between Tunstall Library Development Ltd and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, this enables the developer to work up more detailed designs for homes and community use in the heart of the town.
A banner has been mounted on the building, helping to building excitement for the community.
Out of the £56 million Jonathan has secured from the Levelling Up Fund, £3.5 million will breathe new life into Tunstall Library and Baths. The funding will rejuvenate the old library and swimming baths into a mixed-used facility, including flats, a multi-purpose exhibition space and a café for locals to enjoy.
This creates new living spaces out of a building not currently being used, providing new opportunities for Tunstall creating more places for people being able to socialise and enjoy the local community. This is just the start of getting Tunstall to be able to prosper and is a positive step in the right direction to bring life back into Tunstall town.
Tunstall Baths was closed by the council as part of budget cuts in 2011, while the library moved into the refurbished Tunstall Town Hall last year.
Detailed plans for the Tunstall Library and Baths will now be drawn up, with consultation due to take place with the community ahead of an application being submitted later this year. The council says the project will use the services of over 120 local tradespeople and 20 local professional services companies. This has made the project viable for development and to ensure that the stunning historic character of the building can be retained and enhanced for future enjoyment.
The development follows the successful multi-million-pound, council-funded restoration of Tunstall Town Hall which opened last year. The building connects to the indoor market with conversion for new uses including services for children and families and partner agencies including the NHS and police. The former upstairs ballroom is a fantastic example of restoring and repurposing historic spaces and is now home to the town’s library and is a welcoming space for residents to access a wide range of services.
Thrilled with the government’s investment and Council’s progress, Jonathan said:
“The investment and progress towards plans on this fantastic, beautiful historical building is very much welcomed here in the great town of Tunstall.
It is going to be regenerated and brought into new life, to make it fit for the future and I am very excited to see work get underway.”