Bretton Library is set to temporarily close in February for refurbishment works as part of the plans to bring the city’s Dementia Resource Centre (DRC) into the building at the Cresset.

From May, both the library and the centre and expected to share the same building.

Each service will have its own designated area within the building.

Newly published proposed plans show that the library will occupy the lower ground floor, with space for 12 shelving units and a meeting room, as well as the majority of the upper ground floor, with a smaller section of office space given over to the Alzheimer’s Society.

The DRC has been allocated most of the ground floor for a social space, two consult rooms, two group rooms and its own toilet facilities. The library will also retain its own toilets.

The proposed split would see the library keep around two thirds of its space and the DRC roughly a third.

Group sessions and activities which run over a three day a week period will continue and will be supplemented by other activities running on the remaining two days a week.

The council has agreed a contract with the Alzheimer's Society, which runs the service with council funding, until March 2027

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust memory clinic will not relocate alongside the DRC and the trust in the process of agreeing a new base for the service.

If the council’s planning department supports the change of use, works will commence in March to reconfigure the building so that it can be used for the library and the DRC from May 2025.

There will, however, need to be a temporary closure of Bretton Library from February so the building can be refurbished.

As well as the changes, the library is also set to increase its operating hours but this will be on a self-service basis.

Councillor Shabina Qayyum, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “I am pleased that we have now reached the stage where we can show people our plans for the building including how much space will be allocated to each service.

“Both the library and the DRC are important community facilities, and I have personally worked hard with officers to ensure that we are using the space in the best possible way and providing the best services possible with the budget that we have available.

“The transfer of the Dementia Resource will be seamless so there will be no impact for service users. There will, however, need to be a temporary closure of Bretton Library from February so the building can be refurbished, we will be communicating with library users when the change of use decision is made. At this point we will highlight alternative temporary arrangements for library users.”