Droylsden Library is set to turn a new page as it prepares to move - but not very far.

Tameside Council has confirmed that the Manchester Road building, that was in use for 84 years, will close on Saturday 28 August. 

It will then be demolished, with work set to begin in October and be completed by November this year.

The library service will reopen next door at Guardsman Tony Downes House on Thursday 9 September. 

The building, which opened in 2015, is named in memory of Droylsden resident Tony Downes who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007 serving with the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards. It currently serves as the headquarters for the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

Council bosses had been consulting on plans to relocate the library, which could see the site redeveloped for housing.

The authority says the move takes in all the recommendations and priorities outlined by the public - including staying in the town centre.

(left to right) Tameside Labour councillors Leanne Feeley, Barry Holland and Susan Quinn outside Guardsman Tony Downes House. 

But chief among those were a fully accessible lay-out with everything on ground-floor level, accessible public toilets, up-to-date PCs and printers, free wi-fi, a community room, a children’s area big enough to accommodate class visits and activities, and space for events, work and study.

There will be a designated area for teenagers, a wide selection of large-print and talking books, a choice of seating, and forward-facing displays to make book selection easier. 

The council say these facilities "represent a major improvement" on the old Droylsden Library, which was built in 1937 and has a T-shape and three-floor configuration which restricts access - especially for prams and wheelchairs.

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s executive member with responsibility for libraries, said: “It may only be a very short distance from the old Droylsden Library to its new home, but the two sites are light years apart in terms of what they offer. Guardsman Tony Downes House is a modern, accessible and sustainable town-centre building.

“I’m so excited about the new chapter that’s opening for the people of Droylsden. They are now going to be able to enjoy library services that have been brought right up to date in a better and brighter way.”

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