COUNCILLORS have approved the £4million merger of Derbyshire Records Office and Local Studies Library, despite claims the cash is more urgently needed for schools.
Derbyshire County Council has voted to combine the in-demand archive services at an expanded and revamped centre on New Street in Matlock, where the records office is currently based.
Council leader Andrew Lewer said the move would make more effic
ient use of space and improve visitors' experiences.
Cllr Lewer said: "We are required to keep ordered, safe records by law.
"We are aiming to have the record office and studies library in Matlock under one roof in around three years time, making it more convenient for users who currently have to visit two separate sites," he added.
There are five miles of original papers including historical maps, military treaties and official documents at the records office – but it is reaching capacity.
The Conservative-run council said there was demand for the upgrade, with over 42,000 people last year using the office and its partner service, the local studies library at County Hall.
But opposition members have objected to the move, arguing the money would be better spent on the county's schools, which are facing a repairs backlog.
Labour leader Cllr Anne Western said: "The records office does need some money spending on it, but unfortunately we have got to set priorities and we feel education is a priority."
She added: "I feel it was a political decision. This spending was combined with a £2million upgrade of the library in Ashbourne, where Andrew Lewer is from.
"He is also cabinet member for culture and these are Andrew's priorities, not Derbyshire's."
The council said it was aiming to keep the services open during the merger process.
Among the many historic items stored at the records office are military documents stained with Sir John Gell's blood, details of Rolls Royce's rocket testing for Britain's proposed nuclear deterrent in the 1950s and the Diocese of Derby's annals.
The Local Studies Library houses information about the county's towns and villages, houses, industries, families, traditions, customs and folklore.
Both services are used by schools, with pupils from All Saints' School, in Matlock, reading the archives of farming writer Crichton Porteous as part of their studies this year.
They are open every weekday and on one Saturday a month.
