Stepps Library and Cultural Centre
The heart of the community
UPDATE JULY 2023
Reinstatement of daytime access to community spaces at Stepps Primary School
North Lanarkshire Council’s (NLC) final progress update regarding the remedial works was in December 2021. The works were completed in the Spring of 2022. In order to avoid any further disruption to pupils and staff the classroom position remained unchanged until the end of the school term 2022. In August 2022, with teaching/learning spaces allocated, the temporary classrooms were now unoccupied.
On the 27 September 2022 the community council attended a meeting with NLC representatives. This concerned NLC proposals to repurpose the modular units to library space and adaptations to access the two community rooms and kitchen. The community council met again with NLC representatives on 27 June 2023 for a progress update.
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It is important to note that this matter has been a standing item at monthly community council meetings; and at the June meeting the community council expressed its disappointment at the length of time it was taking to reinstate our community facilities.
At the June meeting NLC reported that Equans is dealing with tender approvals and if granted is working to a three-week programme and hopefully a September 2023 delivery.
When approvals are granted, further discussions will be required in relation to the layout of the internal space within the library. This will be by way of collaboration with community representatives, education and NLC libraries to agree a layout solution.
A Post Project Review (PPR) will be carried out at six months post project and a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) will be carried out at 18 months post project.
NLC community letting team will detail everything needed to access the community rooms or library when a booking is made. Once the adaptations are made this will be updated to include information on how to access the spaces for daytime lets.
Changes to Stepps Library and Cultural Centre
Committee Report and Amendment: Education and Families Committee, 23 February 2021
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NLC has dropped its plan to provide our community with a Library at Buchanan Gate.
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The above Report states that ALL spaces (including meeting rooms and library) inside the campus building will be permanently allocated for the sole use of Stepps Primary School and Nursery.
There will be no library provision for our community within the building during the remedial works. During this time NLC is looking to provide a mobile library van and online services to replace our library.
NLC proposes to house a library in a modular unit
when the remedial works are complete.
However, it should be noted that,
in the future and if required, the library unit
will be requisitioned for educational use.
Stepps library and meeting rooms are a vital and highly-utilised resource at the heart of this community. The benefits these facilities bring to all generations, in terms of community cohesion, education, lifelong learning and health and wellbeing cannot be quantified.
The requisitioning of these facilities for Education space (due to the remedial drainage works) and their temporary relocation away from the campus at Stepps Cultural Centre is a significant loss across all generations of the community. Currently, Stepps community remains unaware of the practical outcomes arising from the displacement.
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The community council is seeking from NLC a written assurance and timescales of the repatriation of the facilities to Stepps Cultural Centre when the works are complete.
Planning application 20/00530/FUL proposes the temporary relocation of the community library to 7 Buchanan Gate for a two-year period. The community council has commented on this planning application.
