Records office - possible new site named

The current County Record Office has been housed in the old Beard's Brewery Maltings, near Lewes Castle, since the 1980s when the archives were moved from the basement of Pelham House.

The Record Office acquires, maintains and makes available to the public unique archives relating to the history of East Sussex and Brighton and Hove from around 1100 to the present day.

A new location for the archives has been sought since the mid 1990s and East Sussex County Council have just recommended Wollard's Field, a six-acre plot opposite Stanmer Park as suitable for development.

A county council spokesman said: 'The site is owned by the county council.

'It was thought it would be easily accessible and would have adequate space to build a building of the scale and high-spec design that would be needed to house these important records.'

he spokesman confirmed the county council has approached Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) about the proposals.

It is hoped the two council's could work together on a planning application and BHCC would bid for lottery funding to pay half the total - which could be up to 22 million.

If the bid is successful, the work would start in 2010 and be finished by 2011.

Brighton and Hove's cultural committee will discuss the ideas at a meeting next Wednesday (March 28).