That’s the verdict following an update report on ‘The Keep’ project presented recently to an East Sussex County Council scrutiny committee.
The Scrutiny Committee for Community Services was told that progress was being made on funding and on the future design of the new archive centre – to be built at Woollards Field at Falmer. The Committee was also told that the University of Sussex had agreed to join the County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council on the project board.
The scrutiny update report revealed that:
- the County Council has confirmed that it has earmarked £11.5m in its capital programme (2008/09 – 2012/13) towards the estimated £22.6m cost of the new building
- a bid for just under £5m will be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund at the end of August this year
- Brighton & Hove City Council will consider its contribution to the project at the beginning of April
- contractor and architects Kier Longley/Atkins have been appointed
- a number of surveys are being carried out at the site at Woollards Field, including tree, ecology and archaeological surveys.
Councillor Barry Taylor, Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee for Community Services said: “This is one of the most important projects being developed by the County Council and its partners and our Scrutiny Committee is keen to support and help develop the plans as they progress. We will be asking officers to provide us with more detailed plans and to organise an official site visit later this year.”
Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Services said: “The Keep will be the new home for the county’s extensive historical archive which contains documents from Sussex and Brighton & Hove – with some dating back over 900 years. We want to create the best archive centre and partnership working is absolutely vital to the success of the project. I’m very pleased that our Scrutiny Committee is helping to take this project forward and keeping the plans under the spotlight.”
The current archive and record office at The Maltings in Lewes has been in operation since 1949 and the Council accepts is it not fit for purpose. In 2006, the National Archives inspection made it clear that the Council needed to address this issue and make progress towards a new record office within five years.
Reference:
1881
Contact the press team
