Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college building

With the plan involving moving the library to Wellington Street.
My question is where on wellington street would the library go? And is Wellington Street the right location for a library?

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

How about the Escapade building? Library by day, nightclub by night.

In all seriousness though, would be a shame to knock that building down - it's not particularly old and there are far worse buildings in town we could get rid of for them to construct a new college building - the row of shop units next to the library are pretty horrible for a start.

Why do they need a new building anyway? Barnsley College's sites must cover a larger area than some universities as it is.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

A lot of the unwashed that attend barnsley are uni types from Huddersfield.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

I've just done a bit more digging (well I looked on the college website) and it appears that they would knock down the library AND the shops next to it and build a new building that stretches from the library to john rideal house. The idea is for it to be a 6th form college which presumably would be seperate from the main college which they hope to use for more advanced courses or something.

The library would move to wellington house which would be completely refurbished.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

temporarily going into Wellington House which i think is the old co-op offices opposite side to chicago rock, as for shambles street, all the lot are to be demolished on that side, for the college.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

And what would this whole idea cost? Millions, and to gain what? The library's only been there since the late Sixties I think.

Age of austerity? They're having a laugh! Where's the money coming from?

I hope this idea's kicked into touch.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Get rid of that horrible one next to market

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

If all those shops are going, half of which I believe are unused, then I'm all for it - it would leave most of that end of town looking really smart. Just need to finally get the old metropolitan centre down and the new shopping area up and the place will generally be quite nice.

Wellington House seems a bit of a strange place for the library - I like the open feel of it as it is now and not sure they'll be able to recreate that in there without massively altering the building and it therefore costing a fortune. It wasn't so long ago the current library was completely refurbished.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Expand Barnsley's educational facilities and breathe new life into an old building, providing legitimate contracts for local construction and employment. It sounds good on paper, but check the small print.

I'd be interested to hear how the library staff feel about uprooting and moving. Will they have more space and facilities/access? Also ask the council what are the plans for nearby branch libraries?

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Actuallyid 70s it would be great to see shambles street redevoped after the balls up Houghton has made of it

Or would you rather see it left in its current state

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

I agree with you tyrone (god help us) it would be great to see the whole street smartened up.

Knock down all the buildings from the library to the right of john rideal house and that entire side of the street will look really smart. From the westgate at one end to the town hall with the gardens at the other. I like the juxtaposition (ok i'm just trying to be posh here) of the old buildings like the lamproom theatre visible from the road sat next to the new buildings of the college site and the plaza.

I don't think it would take a great effort to smarten up the other side of the road either as that is one of the only areas of the town which still has a row of old stone buildings. Was the whitewashed building (used to be extra computers, no idea what it is now) next to the gym originally stone fronted? If so that could be sandblasted back to its original form and then most of that side would look really nice with just the small section of ugly 70's concrete in the middle, the worst by far being that weird glass fronted office section with the disabled ramp entry. It's looked a bugger for years but i'm sure a bit of thought and some cladding or something could bring it up to date.

Personally I think it's a shame that cars are allowed around that section of town, I think we need a much larger pedestrianised area as at present people tend to stop walking when they have to cross a road which limits the size of the the town centre that is used by shoppers.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Businesses were bullied out of those shops by the council, as the original plan was to build another office block to match the one that the built on Westgate

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

News story is here: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/news-and-events/news/2013/october/proposal-for-new-sixth-form-college

Redevelopment of that site - especially the row of shops and John Rideal House, is long overdue and essential to making the town centre more attractive. The library is perfectly adequate as it is, but if it has to be given up as part of the development then it's a price worth paying.

For the Council, selling off the building and/or land would make sense as there are other town centre buildings which could host the library service. I would look at the Civic though instead of Wellington House.

Anything which promotes education within Barnsley as a viable alternative to going elsewhere is a great idea.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Putting the library in the civic would be rather ironic

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

The derelict Salvation Army building next to Wildcats?

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Funnily enough there used to be a library on Welly Street near the Sally Army building. It was the Co-op library and I remember my grandad taking me in there when I was a kid (late 50s).

I quite like the idea of Welly House being used as the library as long as the facilities are OK - breathing new life into an iconic building.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

I wouldn't mind having a look round Welly House as it is now, bet it's like an 80s time warp in some parts as I doubt a lot of it has been used in years.

It's good to hear that there is money to smarten the town up and provide more education facilities but they really need to crack on with whatever the current plans are for the markets and central offices area - they talk about improving the gateway to the town and surely the bus station area is the main one yet it looks completely dead these days. Even by some of the revised timetables, all that work down there should be complete or almost complete by now. I fear we will end up having to settle for a massively scaled down building project there that might look a bit more pleasant but doesn't bring in the much needed facilities that will make people come into town instead of going to Meadowhall - ie some of the popular chain restaurants, multi-screen cinema, department store and big brand name shops. In terms of the restaurants and cinema this give a much more attractive alternative for people who would normally travel from Barnsley to Centertainment or the similar type place in Wakefield.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

As someone currently doing a HNC at Leeds uni through work the library we have is top notch and would be insane to demolish it. Good building, good facilities and one we can be proud of. I go to ones in Leeds and Manchester to study and nothing wrong with it.

Now if the college wants land, I'll suggest the eyesore opposite the train station on Harbourgh Hill Road or where the old bowling alley was opposite Morrison's.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

And too many students around the new town hall will ruin the look of the new fountain area.

Why put alll that money into it if folk won't use it as too many students will loiter there.

 

Re: Barnsley college want to knock down the town library and build a new college buil

Think they'd prefer to keep everything close together, when I was at college I'd have class in Church Street and then have to leg it down to the old site on Huddersfield Rd. If I thought I was going to be late I didn't bother going as you'd just get grief for the whole lesson off the other students and in particular the tutor - was all a bit childish really.