Big changes to Milton Keynes Library set to be agreed by City Council
Big changes to Milton Keynes Central Library are set to be agreed at a meeting of the City Council next week.
The library is due to undergo significant repairs and upgrades as part of a project that is set to cost £3.6 million.
As part of the project, infrastructural issues will be addressed, in order to make the building operational in the long-term.
The renovations will include relocating the children’s library to the ground floor, reconfiguring event spaces to create extra classrooms for adult education, replacing the library’s roof and restoring the lift which is currently out of order.
Councillor Lauren Townsend, Milton Keynes City Council’s cabinet member for resources and customer experience, said: “While many places in England have seen libraries close due to shrinking council budgets, Milton Keynes City Council continues to keep them open and invest in our library service.
“Labour’s £3.6 million investment in Central Library will ensure this vital resource continues to serve Milton Keynes residents in the future.
“Libraries are at the heart of our community, providing essential services like family activities, education for all ages and spaces for working.
“From improving access for parents with buggies to expanding classrooms for adult learners, these upgrades to our Central Library in Milton Keynes will make a real difference in people’s lives.”
More than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed over to volunteer groups in the UK since 2016, according to research by the BBC.
There are ten public libraries across Milton Keynes, with the others being at Bletchley, Kingston, Newport Pagnell, Olney, Stony Stratford, Westcroft, Woburn Sands, Wolverton and Woughton.