Planning permission has been granted for a new history centre to be built at the site of the former Enterprise Centre on Hoole Road in Chester.
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies – which is a shared service between Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council – looks after the county’s unique and irreplaceable written and pictorial history.
The plan is to rehouse the archives in two new state-of-the-art history centres, with one in Chester and one in Crewe.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is contributing £4.45m to the project, and this has enabled construction of the centres to go ahead.
In addition, the funding will help the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies service to cover the cost of a programme of new activities across the county up until March 2027.
Known as ‘Cheshire’s archives: a story shared’, the scheme aims to transform the way the archives service works and give local people greater access to the collections and opportunities to interact with them.
It’s hoped this will enable people to celebrate their personal and communities’ histories.
Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cllr Louise Gittins, said: “The city of Chester has preserved the precious archives for 70 years in their current location.
“These archives are of both local and national importance, recording the history of the county over the last 900 years.
“Some highlights include the archives of the city of Chester which reflect its historic position at the crossroads of the British Isles, with links to Ireland and North Wales from the south.”
She added: “The current location is no longer able to meet the expectation and requirements of the many people who access the service.
“This is an exciting project working in partnership with Cheshire East Council that will allow us to move forward to revolutionise access to a wider audience and protect the collection for future generations.
“I am sure that as this project now moves to the construction phase, we will be sharing our joint experiences with authorities across the country.
“The new history centre will also help to improve outreach and our digital programme, extending access to the archives across Cheshire and further afield.
“There will be better spaces for staff and volunteers to work with the collections, more spaces for research, performances and exhibitions, and opportunities to develop and exchange skills.”
Cheshire East Council will be considering the planning application for the history centre on the site of Crewe’s former library, next to Memorial Square, on 15th March.
Subject to planning permission, work to build both centres is expected to begin in autumn this year and finish by winter 2025.
