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Ground breaking at Plumstead Library

Construction and refurbishment work has begun at Plumstead Library, the first step in combining it with a new leisure centre for the high street.

The occasion was marked with a ground breaking ceremony on 29 November, attended by Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich; Cllr Matthew Morrow, of Plumstead ward; and representatives from Osborne, the Council’s main contractor; and GLL, which will manage the new facility for the Council.

Plumstead Library is a Grade II listed building which is being refurbished, while a non-listed back office extension has been demolished to help make way for a new combined library, leisure, cultural and sports facility.

The building will be fully accessible with increased opening hours, and will also feature:
• a new, state-of-the-art library
• sport, leisure and cultural spaces, including large soft play facilities for young people and families
• state of the art gym and fitness studios, and a multi- purpose sports space provided to include badminton and dance.
The £16m project is the flagship element of the Plumstead Urban Framework, adopted in 2015 to make improvements to Plumstead as a place to live and work, along with the train station, new housing, gyratory traffic system, and more.

Cllr Thorpe said: “The library is important to me and to the borough as the centrepiece of the regeneration of Plumstead, and we are focusing substantial resources from both the public and private sectors to help improve the area.
“We are now creating a multi-use facility for the whole community, making the most of our resources to support people who live, work and learn within the borough and also encouraging them to take up the opportunities available to get involved in sport and physical activity.
“There are some truly committed residents and community groups in Plumstead, and we want to help them, work with them, and empower them to deliver a positive Plumstead for all.”

Andrew Osborne, Chairman of Osborne, said: “Osborne has a track record and ethos of working closely with our customers to deliver high-quality facilities that are carefully-designed, well-constructed and focused on enhancing the local area for local people.  We are delighted to be an integral part of this important landmark in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.”

The scheme is expected to be completed during 2019.

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