Celebrations as contractor appointed for new £5.3m Clifton community library

Main construction work on a new £5.3m Clifton Library will start this April, as City of York Council confirmed that Walter Thompson, a Northallerton based firm, have been contracted to build the project.

The new library will be five times larger than the existing library, and will follow the successful models at Acomb & Tang Hall (the Centre@Burnholme).

At 1400 square metres, the new library will offer space for some 15,000 books, a reading cafe and a children’s library, plus rooms for community partners. A number of organisations will be based at the new library, including those supporting disabled children and young people, as well as lifelong learning projects, adult education, career advice and apprenticeships.

City of York Council's Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Culture, Leisure & Communities Councillor Darryl Smalley said: “I’m delighted that we now have a construction partner appointed and work will formally start in just a few short weeks. The Clifton library project is running both to budget and schedule - I can’t wait to see the new building start to take shape.

“I could not be prouder of the Lib Dem record in delivering new libraries across York. In just the last few days we've formally opened a new library for Haxby & Wigginton, and we are now able to announce this significant milestone at Clifton. Five times larger than the current Clifton Explore, the new Library is going to be brilliant and well worth the wait. Whilst across the country libraries are closing, in York we're bucking that trend -  supporting York's libraries and securing their long term future.” 

The development will include outdoor spaces for play and a terrace outside the reading cafe. Besides new bike storage, the car park will have electric vehicle chargers. Low energy features have been incorporated into the design, including building green roofs and solar panels which will help fuel passive ventilation and heat recovery

systems. 

Explore will continue to offer all its services from the existing library until work on the new centre is completed, expected to be Spring/Summer 2024. Walter Thompson will soon be in touch with residents in the local area with information and contact details. A new school access route to the neighbouring Vale of York Academy has been built and residents will soon be consulted on how to deliver some low carbon, 100% affordable homes on the remaining land facing Fairway.