Marple Community Hub update August 2024

Now that planning permission has been secured for the new Community Hub in Marple, preparations are now ramping up so that construction of the new facility can get underway.

And to help with those preparations, we need to make some temporary changes to our library services in the area.

From the beginning of September, the library service will move out of the building to allow the new build phase of the development. We are pleased to confirm that we are currently finalising details with the Scouts Headquarters in Marple to provide a pop-up library for the duration of the construction works. The library will be open on a Tuesday and Thursday and provide an opportunity for residents to speak to library staff, browse and borrow from a selection of books, access public computers and use the space to relax. Our popular Storytime will continue once a week for parents, carers and under 5s. The Library Service will also be providing a book deposit/collection locker outside of the Scouts Headquarters which will be accessible outside of library hours. We can also confirm the library’s home delivery service will continue in the Marple area for those who need it most and e-books will also remain available for free online 24/7.

Residents can return their Marple Library books to any of our libraries, including Bredbury, Hazel Grove or High Lane, renew them via Library Catalogue - or hold onto them until the launch of our temporary offer.

The contractor, Willmott Dixon Construction, will be taking possession of Marple Library and Marple Police Station at the beginning of September with surveys scheduled and service diversion works taking place to enable the main build of the new hub to commence in this winter.

There will also be some changes in Marple Memorial Park from October 2024, with Marple Memorial car park and children’s play park closing completely on the 15th October to the public to allow for main construction works to commence. The external toilet block in the park will be closing to the public in early October with new temporary provision in place at this time.

During the construction phase there will be large numbers of contractors working on site. To limit impact on public parking within Marple during the construction phase, the former Marple Baths site will be used exclusively for contractor parking.

Finally, the council will be launching a dedicated web page for the construction phase where we will share updates on the progress of the project.

Once built, the new Marple Community Hub will have a five-lane swimming pool, a ground floor library with a small cafe, a 60-station fitness suite, shared community spaces, and the relocated Marple clinic.