Decision to sell Stotfold's Simpson Centre 'not easy' as public opinion split
Stotfold Town Council has agreed to sell the Simpson Centre on the open market – but the mayor says the decision was "not easy".
The town council agreed to proceed with the sale last month after investigating its options and a public consultation that had a "50-50 divide".
The building has been at the heart of the community for around six decades.
Mayor of Stotfold Town Council, cllr Jon Smith, said: “The Simpson Centre has served Stotfold since the 1960s. For many years it was home to the town's library and GP surgery.
"In 1999 the town council bought the building to save the library from closure. Generations of residents will have fond memories of it.
"Deciding to sell was not easy. When we asked residents for their views, opinion was split almost exactly down the middle. Just over half wanted the building kept as a community facility, and the rest favoured selling the site for senior living.
"But the building would need major investment to bring it up to modern standards. Running it afterwards would put a lasting cost on council tax. We did not think it was fair to ask residents to carry that."
The council investigated the senior living option, but found it would prove difficult to maximise a return on the site "without being overbearing to neighbouring properties".
"We were keen to optimise the development of the site for the benefit of all residents," added cllr Smith. "By law, money from selling a building like this can only be spent on capital projects. That means it goes back into facilities people use, not into day-to-day running costs.
"Members will decide those priorities in public meetings, which residents are welcome to attend.
"Our hope is that the site serves Stotfold well in its next chapter."
The Simpson Centre was built in the 1960s as a shared building with the doctor’s surgery, next to the police house. The GP surgery moved out in 1999 and now operates from Larksfield Surgery, while the town council bought the building in 1999 to save the library from closure.
When the Simpson Centre closed in June 2025, the new library at the Greenacre Centre was opened – and it is run by Central Bedfordshire Council.
Cllr Smith added: "The Greenacre Centre is going from strength to strength. Since the new library opened, it has had nearly four times the space it had at the Simpson Centre, with room to study, use computers and hold events, alongside the café, public toilets and parking.
"Footfall has increased year on year, with over 20,000 visitors this year to the end of September.
"The library is also open for longer if you add the manned and unmanned hours. The café being open every day allows the library to be operational even if not staffed.”
Visit the town council’s website for more information about the consultation that was held – and for information about the Simpson Centre's future.