Report to:

Lead Member for Transport and Environment

Date of meeting:

16 March 2026

By:

Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

Title:

East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office Collections Policies

Purpose:

To seek approval for a suite of policies relating to East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office collections


 

RECOMMENDATIONS: The Lead Member is recommended to:

(1)  approvethe East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office Collections Development Policy, as set out in Appendix 1;

(2)  approvethe East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office Selection, Appraisal and Disposal Policy as set out in Appendix 2; and

(3)  approvethe East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office Collections Information Statement as set out in Appendix 3.

 

 

1              Background Information

1.1.            East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office collects and preserves archival material relating to the administration of, and to past and present life in, East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. The records are stored at The Keep and are made available to the public by a variety of means for private and professional research.

1.2.            The management and funding of the Keep is through a partnership between East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and the University of Sussex.

1.3.            The work of East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office is underpinned by legislation and overseen by The National Archives. The Keep is licensed as a ‘Place of Deposit’ to hold public records by The National Archives.

1.4.            The current system of accreditation for archive services (‘Accreditation’), was introduced in 2016 and is managed by The National Archives. The Keep first achieved Accredited Archive status in 2017. All Places of Deposit are required to achieve and maintain Accredited Archive status.

1.5.            Accreditation has a range of requirements, which include the existence of service policies approved at an appropriate level. Many of the policies to which East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office works are agreed through the governance framework of The Keep. However, because the collections held by each partner at The Keep (East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and the University of Sussex), (‘The Keep Partners’) remain the responsibility of the relevant partner, certain policies relating to the management of those collections held by East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office need to be approved through the County Council’s processes.

1.6.            The current policies were previously approved by the Lead Member for Communities and Safety on 25 May 2016. A review of these policies is required to share current approved working practices with customers and staff.  This review is also required for the East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office to demonstrate adherence to current best practice and national standards, and to maintain Accredited Archive status. Accreditation is a requirement for East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office’s ongoing appointment by The National Archive as a Place of Deposit for public records, and to preserve stakeholder confidence in the record office’s archival practices.

The policies have been updated to make them clearer, easier to follow, and more in line with how the service works today. The amendments to the policies are set out below:

 

1.6.1 All appendices:

·         Dates updated.

·         Policy layout brought up to the current template.

·         Language rewritten to be clear, concise and easy to understand.

 

1.6.2 Collections Development Policy (Appendix 1)

·         Information updated to reflect how policies are reviewed under the current governance structure.

·         Sections on geographical coverage and scope of collections simplified and combined.

·         Acquisition of archives section simplified.

·         Approach to acquiring non-statutory records clarified.

·         Areas for development refreshed in line with the current collections development plan.

 

1.6.3 Selection, Appraisal and Disposal Policy (Appendix 2)

·         Explanations of Selection, Appraisal and Disposal simplified for clarity.

 

1.6.4 Collections Information Statement (Appendix 3)

·         Information added about the handling of digital accessions.

·         Priorities updated to reflect a focus on statutory duties.



2              Supporting Information


2.1          The policies will be published on The Keep’s website (www.thekeep.info) to inform customers and staff about how the archive currently decides which records to accept, and to share approved practices for appraisal and selection of records for permanent preservation.
The policies are transparent and accountable, in keeping with East Sussex County Council customer values.

2.2          The Collections Development Policy (Appendix 1) describes what, why and how East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office acquires archives and considers the strengths and gaps in its collections to inform its priorities for collecting in future.

2.3          The Selection, Appraisal and Disposal Policy (Appendix 2) describes in more detail the principles underpinning decisions about which records to retain permanently as archives.

2.4          The Collections Information Statement (Appendix 3) sets out the principles for documenting East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office’s archive holdings, including information about ownership and rights, and establishes its priorities for cataloguing the archives in order to provide public access.

2.5          The three policies have been drafted according to guidelines issued by the National Archive.

2.6          The Keep is appointed by the National Archive as a Place of Deposit for Public Records under Section 4(1) of the Public Records Act (1958). The National Archive uses the Archive Service Accreditation Standard (Guidance - Archives sector) to ensure that Places of Deposit are maintaining suitable arrangements for the preservation of records and access to them.

2.7          These three policies are a requirement to maintain Archive Service Accreditation and appointment as a Place of Deposit for Public Records.


3              Conclusion and Reasons for Recommendations

3.1.            The Lead Member is recommended to approve the three policies, as set out in Appendices 1 – 3. The policies are required for East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Record Office to share agreed working practices with customers and staff, demonstrate adherence to national standards for archival best practice, and to maintain Accredited Archive status and appointment as a Place of Deposit for public records.

 

RUPERT CLUBB

Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

Contact Officer:Anna Goddard
Tel. No. 07734 301730

Email: anna.goddard@eastsussex.gov.uk

 

LOCAL MEMBERS

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BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

The NationalArchives Accreditation Scheme at Archive Service Accreditation Standard