The Wisbech-based Harry Simpson Memorial Library, which has a wider and more detailed resource of planning and housing publications than the British Library, is facing homelessness.
The library was opened by Prime Minister John Major in 1996 following a five-year fundraising campaign. It was formerly located at the University of Westminster whilst the Chartered Institute of Housing funded the running costs.
The library is still accessible via archive.org but its physical contents were boxed and relocated to Wisbech, a small fenland town in Cambridgeshire, in 2011. The collection comprises approximately 250 ‘bankers boxes’ and a further 100 box files. The library is fully indexed but a full catalogue has yet to be found.
David Mountain, research manager at the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “The Harry Simpson Memorial Library is significant in its own right, but its emergence into precarity at the present moment is also particularly notable.
“As of late March 2026, I have not secured either a short, intermediate or long-term storage solution for the contents of the Harry Simpson Memorial Library. I am keen to hear from any potential partners who see potential value in the collection, whether as a whole or in parts.”
Images: David Mountain
© Eastern Echo (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
This article and its contents are the intellectual property of UK Property Forums and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used in any form without prior written permission. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not constitute legal or professional advice.
