Events venue plan for former town library building
Plans have been submitted to turn the old Stoke Library on London Road into a private hire venue for weddings, corporate events and community gatherings.
The Grade II listed building, known for its circular windows and William Shakespeare mosaic, is currently empty having last been used as a meditation centre.
The library service moved to a site on South Wolfe Street in 2008.
According to a planning application submitted by local resident Tariq Hussain, the plans would create a new "stylish and versatile" space while preserving one of the city's best-loved buildings.
The proposals, which also require listed building consent, would see the main hall on the ground floor serve as the primary event area.
There would also be a bar, lounge and dedicated catering area, with other rooms available for smaller events.
The lower ground floor, which has a separate entrance, could eventually be turned into a cafe.
According to the plans, the venue could have a maximum capacity of about 150 people, and be available for hire seven days a week between 09:00 and 23:00.
Alterations proposed included the division of the first-floor balcony room and the addition of a disabled toilet.
No external structural changes were planned, but fans would be added to the rear wall and front door and fencing repainted.
"The use of the building will ensure its longevity and preservation as funds raised from hiring out the hall will be used to help restore any historic elements," the application stated.
The applicant also said they would work with heritage bodies to "preserve and adapt" the building to its original design.
Planners at Stoke-on-Trent City Council are due to make a decision on the proposals in the coming weeks.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Former library could be turned into flats
Views sought on plans to revamp Victorian library
Library development plans resubmitted
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Epoch Times
2 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Victoria's Net Zero Transmission Plan Blows Out to $7.9 Billion
Victorian taxpayers face a $7.9 billion (US$5.1 billion) bill to cover transmission infrastructure for the state's push towards net zero. The figure outstrips an earlier estimate in June for the project to cost $4.3 billion.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Emerging FX Edges Lower Ahead of Ukraine Meetings, Jackson Hole
(Bloomberg) -- Developing-nation assets traded mixed Monday ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, with investors watching for signs of progress toward a Russia-Ukraine peace deal. A Photographer's Pipe Dream: Capturing New York's Vast Water System Festivals and Parades Are Canceled Amid US Immigration Anxiety A London Apartment Tower With Echoes of Victorian Rail and Ancient Rome Princeton Plans New Budget Cuts as Pressure From Trump Builds The South African rand, a bellwether of risk appetite, led a gauge of emerging-market currencies lower as the greenback advanced. Meantime, the benchmark index for emerging-market stocks edged higher, though it pared much of the advance seen during Asian trading hours. Trump's Monday meetings with Zelenskiy and other European leaders also come ahead of the Fed's annual retreat at Jackson Hole this week, when Chairman Jerome Powell's speech may offer hints on a potential September interest-rate cut. 'Markets are in a bit of a holding pattern until we get to Jackson Hole on Friday,' said Brendan McKenna, an economist at Wells Fargo in New York. 'The CPI and PPI data have markets a bit concerned Powell won't come' out too strongly in favor of cutting rates next month. 'Markets don't want to be caught offside leading into the symposium.' Read: Asian Stocks Rise on Optimism Over China Trade, India Tax Cut US interest-rate swap traders are pricing in over 100 basis points of interest-rate reductions by the US Federal Reserve over the next 12 months despite expectations of a rise in inflation, Deutsche Bank AG analysts led by Jim Reid said in a note. 'There's been incredible buoyancy across risk assets that's seen valuations become increasingly stretched,' the analysts wrote. Elsewhere, Bolivia's dollar bonds were the biggest gainers among emerging-market peers after voters elected two pro-business candidates to face off in an October runoff for the presidency. Notes due in 2028 and 2030 jumped at least 3 cents on the dollar to above 80 cents, the highest in two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. READ: Voters End Two Decades of Socialist Party Rule in Bolivia Ukraine's dollar bonds were also among the top performers of the day ahead of the meetings. Still, given the wide gap in negotiating positions and a lack of decisive developments on the battlefield, a team led by UBS Global Wealth Management's Chief Investment Officer Mark Haefele wrote in a report the war is likely to go into next year. 'Any negotiation process will be drawn out given the lack of trust and distance between desired outcomes, and any agreements will likely be treated with suspicion,' the UBS team said. Foreigners Are Buying US Homes Again While Americans Get Sidelined What Declining Cardboard Box Sales Tell Us About the US Economy Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates Living With 12 Strangers to Ease a Housing Crunch Bessent on Tariffs, Deficits and Embracing Trump's Economic Plan ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gold Edges Up as Traders Look to Jackson Hole and Ukraine Talks
(Bloomberg) -- Gold edged higher as traders looked ahead to potential interest-rate signals from the Federal Reserve's annual gathering in Jackson Hole, as well as high-stakes diplomacy in Washington over efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Bullion traded near $3,350 an ounce, stuck in a narrow range over the past few sessions. Central bankers from around the world will gather at the retreat in Wyoming starting Friday, with market pricing suggesting that a reduction in US rates is likely at the Fed's policy meeting next month. The US-Canadian Road Safety Gap Is Getting Wider A Photographer's Pipe Dream: Capturing New York's Vast Water System Festivals and Parades Are Canceled Amid US Immigration Anxiety A London Apartment Tower With Echoes of Victorian Rail and Ancient Rome Princeton Plans New Budget Cuts as Pressure From Trump Builds The Fed's Raphael Bostic said after a three-day tour of the southeastern US that tariff strains were real, high borrowing costs were squeezing business profits and he's open to adjusting rates soon. Lower rates typically benefit gold because the precious metal doesn't bear interest. 'Markets increasingly expect the Federal Reserve to strike a more dovish tone at the upcoming Jackson Hole symposium, with traders largely looking past last week's slightly firmer U.S. inflation print,' said Priyanka Sachdeva, an analyst at Phillip Nova in Singapore. 'The broader market view is that inflationary pressures remain on a cooling path.' Meanwhile, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his European allies are due to discover what US President Donald Trump committed to at his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin last week, amid apprehension that he'll try to force Kyiv into making unpalatable concessions. Any signs of a ceasefire could ease demand for the precious metal as a haven. Gold has rallied by more than a quarter this year, reaching a record in April. Since then, prices have tracked sideways, with investors following the fallout from the US-led trade war, concerns over the strength of the global economy and geopolitical tensions. Central-bank buying has also helped to support bullion. Gold was up to $ an ounce at 12:42 p.m. in London. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was steady. Silver was up, platinum was little changed and palladium dropped. --With assistance from Laura Avetisyan. What Declining Cardboard Box Sales Tell Us About the US Economy Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates Living With 12 Strangers to Ease a Housing Crunch Foreigners Are Buying US Homes Again While Americans Get Sidelined How Syrian Immigrants Are Boosting Germany's Economy ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
