Date: 17 March 2008 21:09

SITE SEARCH FOR CULTURAL BASE FOR CAMBRIDGESHIRE STARTS AFRESH

The search for a new home for Cambridgeshire's priceless archives will start 
afresh after a previous scheme to site the records near Cambridge railway 
station collapsed.

It had been hoped to create the new centre with high quality storage and 
state of the art protection and preservation facilities as part of the cb1 
redevelopment of the 24-acre site around Cambridge's Station Road.

The world famous Cambridgeshire Collection was also expected to move to the 
new facility - but the County Council has now withdrawn after protracted 
negotiations with the cb1 developer Ashwell failed to resolve long term
financial and lease arrangements.

Trumpington Liberal Democrat County Councillor Anne Kent, whose ward 
includes the proposed Station Road site, said: "I am very disappointed that 
this has fallen through, it was a very good location on a transport hub and 
would have been a great asset for the city. It is very sad that the 
developer appears to have raised the stakes and is now applying for yet more 
offices instead and the archive service is left back at square one with the 
records hidden in the basement of Shire Hall."

The need for easily accessible public facilities and storage conditions 
which meet the current national standards for the unique archive collections 
remains an urgent priority for the Council, which is fully committed to 
finding a solution which produces an attractive, innovative and lasting 
cultural legacy for Cambridgeshire.

 The search has therefore now started to find a new site and work to get the 
project back on track is underway.

Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor John 
Reynolds, added: "It is very disappointing that this exiting project to 
create the new Historical Resource and Cultural Centre as part of the cb1
development can not now proceed. After prolonged negotiation it has become 
clear that the development is not financially viable for us and does not 
offer value for money for Cambridgeshire council tax payers."

John Reynolds