Opening hours cuts on cards for Shropshire Council's archives

Consultation will open next week into plans to change staffing and functions at the archive centre in Shrewsbury, with a cap on opening hours to just 15 a week.

The service – which currently operates between 18 and 22 hours a week – now only sees about 5,000 visitors each year and bosses are looking at ways it can reduce the service to save money.

A statement from Shropshire Council said: "Budget reductions, part of the overall spending pressures on Shropshire Council, require a major adjustment in staffing and functions at Shropshire Archives.

"Inevitably this means a reduction in the service's opening hours.

"Following the reduction in opening hours in April 2014 the service has seen a reduction in visitors to about 5,000 per year.

"In April 2015, as a result of customer feedback, access to the search room where original documents can be consulted was extended on Wednesdays to 4pm and this has been well supported.

"Since then demand has continued for access to original documents in the search room and the library-style service offered from 2pm to 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays has not been so well used.

"Demand on Saturdays is variable and does not seem to support the current frequency of opening."

The statement added: "The proposed changes to opening hours will allow for a full service during the opening periods covering both the reading room and the search room, though documents would need to be ordered in advance at certain times, for example on Saturdays."

The service is currently closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. It opens from 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 10am to 2pm every other Saturday.

From 2pm to 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays the centre operates a library service only.

But the council wants to limit it to 15 hours a week.

It said: "This reduction in opening hours will ensure that the service can continue with other essential behind-the-scenes cataloguing and conservation work which supports public access to archives.

"An inquiry service will continue to be maintained during public opening times, and opportunities for volunteers will also continue to be provided from Tuesdays to Thursdays.

"Group visits, school sessions and adult education courses will continue to be programmed for Mondays and Tuesdays in response to levels of demand."

Shropshire Council is due to open consultation into the plans on Tuesday and this will close on March 28.

A final decision will then be made in April with new opening hours starting in May.

The first of the three proposed options would retain a once-a-month Saturday opening and one longer day but a reduction in opening on Thursdays and Fridays.

The second would see one long day, no Saturday openings and longer days on Thursdays and Fridays.

And the final option would see three shorter days, no Saturday openings – but opening hours would be easier to understand and remember.

The council is also inviting people to come up with a fourth alternative but it must have a maximum of 15 opening hours per week.

• To see the consultation, visit www.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/