Cheshire council discusses historical document storage

Plans to move Cheshire's historical records to a new building are being discussed by councillors.

Most of the records, dating back to the 12th Century, are currently held at the County Record Office in Chester.

The remainder are kept in places such as Winsford Salt Mine, Chester Castle, and the basement of Chester Town Hall.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is considering building a facility for all the records next to the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port.

If approved, the headquarters - which would have adequate storage and the correct environmental conditions - would house the national Waterways Archive and the Cheshire Record Office.

It is thought building a new site would ease the annual £62,000 cost of storing the records which do not fit at the County Record Office in Duke Street.

Last year, that office hosted 6,500 reader visits and received 7,100 enquiries by telephone and email.