Criticism over archives delay
A LEADING historian has attacked Plymouth City Council for dragging its heels over providing a new home for the city's archives.
The council had been given until 2013 to bring the public record office in Clare Place up to scratch after the National Archives classified the building as unsuitable for storing records.
The city risks having its priceless historic documents being taken away to the National Records Office at Kew in London.
Historians have already twice confronted council leader Vivien Pengelly and council officers over the state of the archives, in meetings organised by Dr Todd Gray, chairman of the Friends of Devon's Archives.
In the first meeting, last November, Mrs Pengelly had promised them that the archives were the city's 'second priority after the Life Centre', Dr Gray said.
"Repeated attempts to clarify the situation with the council have led us nowhere," he said.
"We have had no progress in a year. In fact, we have gone backwards, in that we have lost the city archivist. I have great concerns because we have only a few years in which the council has to demonstrate that it's doing something about the public records. It's as if we're scrambling about in the dark. Mrs Pengelly refuses to answer any of my emails."
At January's meeting Mrs Pengelly said the council was negotiating to use an unnamed large building it owned to house the public records.
She invited Dr Gray and Maureen Selley, the chairman of the Devon Family History Society, to help to advise the council in setting up the History Centre.
"We were promised in January that we would be shown round the building," Dr Gray said.
"Here we are with just a load of promises and we're confused, because we thought we had the council leader's word."
Dr Gray has now called a third meeting in the campaign to get a new home for the record office, and is throwing it open to the public. The meeting will be in the Spurgeon Hall, Mutley Plain, at 2.15pm on November 27.
"It will be shameful if Plymouth becomes the only council in the country to lose its archives," he said. "People all around the world are interested because Plymouth is an ancient port."
A council spokeswoman said: "We are still looking at ideas for a more suitable home for our public records, as we are acutely aware that the office does not meet the National Archives' standards. It remains a clear priority and is in our corporate plan.
"Because of the recession, hard choices had to be made and plans for a new purpose-built History Centre are not currently part of the capital programme," she said.
"We are actively looking for a more suitable home but cannot say any more at this stage. We have advertised for a new city archivist."
4 Comments
by Kay, Dorst
Saturday, November 28 2009, 6:27PM
“With all the interest in finding out when ,where and who we are all descended from,the Plymouth Town authorities are missing out on a reliable income.By keeping the record office and staff accessable to local interests,involving schools and other education parties,let alone the local history groups,not to mention all the young pensioners finding there roots...for minimal fees I feel sure the there would be a rebirth in the use of your unique collections that are preserved in Plymouth.By keeping them local more people will use them it makes sense.Who would want to make several trips to London to use a very busy central records office when being local you can combine the visits with other trips.These record must be kept in Plymouth and a pride in their upkeep and useage.Good Luck in keeping them..you know they are worth it.”
by john, chelmsford
Sunday, November 22 2009, 10:07AM
“As an outsider I am quite appalled by the apparent lack of progress made by Vivian Pengelly and her sidekicks. No doubt some pet project of hers would have made much more progress and money and time would have been invested in it to find a solution. Trouble is that less time is spent on topics that are not close to your heart or of interest to you. However has she considered that if you lose these archives then it's a long haul up to Kew in order to view them in the future? With the popularity of "Who Do You Think You Are?", and the increase in interest in family research it is crucial that people should be able to access their familes history locally and in the ares where the history is more relevant. Shame on this council, no wonder that the public despair of some of our political figures. Some are so wrapped up in high profile projects that they feel will enable them to stand tall in the public lime light that they lose track of the very important things that should not be overlooked. It's only when you haven't got a particular aspect of history; and it has been removed several counties away that you realise the true value of your loss. Many political figures will be fighting for survival at some point shortly; and they would do well to relise that they only stay in office as long as the public tolerate them. Being somewhat fickle the public have the power to alter the structure of any council that fails to uphold the highest standards for all of it's constituents, and not just for the chosen few. Correct this glaring error Vivian Pengelly , lest you find out the hard way what being out of office can really cost you!”
by J Breckon, Lincolnshire.
Friday, November 20 2009, 5:07PM
“I visited the archives in September 2008 having made a prior appointment explaining that I had ancestors from the area and ascertaining that I had sufficient information to search the records. I then travelled 260 miles. On arrival the staff where uninterested and not at all customer focused.I did not know the local area and asked for help to match local churchs to the area, I was pointed to a large map on the wall and told basically to figure it out, whilst the staff went back to their comfort zone of coffee and in one case a clearly private phone call.
I asked again for a small amount of basic local knowledge and was given the prices that they charge for a private researcher. I do not expect anyone to work for nothing and indeed am well aware that these services are available. A complete stranger who was local and herself researching told me the local area I needed.Once again I am aware that your staff cannot be expected to know the answer to every question. However in the end I gave up on some of my research as the staff on duty that day clearly did not have the same customer focus as the person I booked with by telephone.
I have been the length and breadth of the country visiting Archives but I'm afraid yours is the worse I have ever encountered. I was very disapointed and annoyed that I had clearly wasted my time and money. Before I left again I was asked if I wanted to employ one of the people to look for me, is this the spirit of local record archives?
I saw a link from a Family History Website about this office and felt that it would be a terrible shame if these archives are not kept locally, however I know if I wanted to find the information from Kew I would not be faced with the shoddy , indifferent service that on this occasion I encountered in Plymouth.
Dismayed, Lincolnshire.”
by Hermes (and Thelemia), Plymouth
Wednesday, October 21 2009, 7:40PM
“Council, does thine wisdom keep any pasture amidst thine own ego? Greened my field, Plymouth.”