City of York Council is to invest £7.7million in the city's libraries in a programme of city wide improvement.

In partnership with Explore York Libraries and Archives, the investment programme includes:

• a new £5 million library learning centre for Clifton

• a new permanent library for Haxby and Wigginton

• capital investment in the Acomb Library learning centre.

The significant capital investment at Clifton will see library provision move to a new development on the former Clifton Without Junior School site on Rawcliffe Drive. The relocated Clifton facility will create a larger centre with co-located partners enhancing the offer to the local communities and delivering the vision of a community hub and learning centre.


A recent public consultation with the community in the Clifton area found 90% of residents were in favour of the move from the current site on Rawcliffe Lane to the former Junior School site.

Clifton's new Library Learning Centre will increase the total facility size from 270 square metres to over 1400, incorporating a multi-purpose space holding 15,000 books, evening events, a Reading Cafe, a Children’s Library, and a community partner area.

Development of the site will include new safe and secure school access to Vale of York Academy. As the library does not require the whole site, there is a proposal to make 2,500 square metres of the site available for low carbon, 100% affordable homes with a further consultation on those proposals set to take place early in 2022.