Capital developments

Planning and delivering a new archive building or store or refurbishing an existing building can be a significant challenge. We facilitate the Major Archive Projects Learning Exchange (MAPLE), a networking group that enables organisations to share information about planning and managing such projects. We have also produced some basic guidance:

Planning a new record repository (PDF)

Services have also found the following sources useful:

Benefits of Capital Investment in Archives

Guidance Note on securing developer contributions for museum, library and archive facilities in the South East

ALMA-UK Economic Impact Toolkit for Museums and Archives

Designing Libraries

Culture and Sport Planning Toolkit

Use of off-site storage by UK archives

A simple guide to commissioning an architect is one of many resources on the Royal Institute of British Architects website. This guide includes the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, which organises the process of managing, designing building projects and administering building contracts into a number of convenient work stages, A-L.

Championing archives and libraries within local planning

The National Archives and Arts Council England have collaborated to publish guidance on public libraries and archives advocating within local authority planning. The guide is designed to improve understanding of the national planning context and local planning processes so that archive and library professionals will be able to champion their organisations in future neighbourhood planning activities.

Importantly, in a period of limited funding, the guidance also outlines the latest developer contribution schemes, such as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Section 106.

Championing archives and libraries within local planning

Relevant Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment case studies

British Library Centre for Conservation

Seven Stories

Ruskin Library, University of Lancaster

Anglesey Archives and Gwent Archives

Resources from The National Archives

Assessing environmental impact

Generating income

Archive Service Accreditation

Assessing and managing the risks of split site archive services (PDF, 0.40MB)