Stocksbridge scheme under way after long delays

The £16.3m Stocksbridge 519 is due to open in 2027

Work to demolish a former library to make way for a new community hub has begun almost six years after the scheme was announced.

The £16.3m Stocksbridge 519 centre is being built on the site of Stocksbridge Library and St Luke's charity shop.

Funding for the project was first announced in 2019 as part of a wider £24.1m redevelopment project under the then Conservative government's Levelling Up programme.

Despite numerous delays to the project and a downsizing of the scheme Stocksbridge Towns Fund (STF) said it was "delighted" work was finally starting.

Demolition work has begun at the former Stocksbridge Library

STF had previously said everything would be in place by summer 2026 but the community hub is not now expected to be in use until 2027.

The original budget was £11.7m, but this has now risen by almost £5m.

A Sheffield City Council report said the cost had increased "in relation to inflation, additional scope of fit out works, increased design costs, a potential right to light claim and the associated increases in fees".

In total the council must pay £525,569 to settle right to light compensation claims from neighbouring properties which will be overshadowed by the new building.

Parts of the wider original scheme, a hydrotherapy pool at Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre and improvements to the Little Don river, were abandoned due to inflationary pressures and rising costs.

The Stocksbridge Hub 519 will be the new home of a modern library with flexible, state-of-the-art spaces for business, training and community use.

Ian Sanderson from the STF said: "We are delighted to get to this stage of the project now where residents, business owners and visitors will see visible change in the development of this community hub and public space.

"The Stocksbridge Hub 519 will be a breath of fresh air for the town centre.

"It will provide a space where people can come together to access vital services, take part in community projects and socialise with their neighbours and friends.

"We look forward to this work progressing and being able to share updates for the community on major milestones being hit and who will be moving in to occupy space at the hub."

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