10 Feb Urgent – SCC Decision regarding the Closure of West Suffolk Archives
Suffolk County Council are set to confirm their decision to close the West Suffolk Archives in Bury St
Edmunds on Thursday 15 February 2024. Please sign the petition below, they need many more signatures to help support any action.
The link is https://www.ipetitions.com/pet
You can read more about the proposed cuts to cultural funding in Suffolk on this blog from The Food Museum here!
Also if you object to the closure, PLEASE write to Suffolk County Councillors NOW.
Section A below is a list of objections you may wish to consider, but please make what you write personal:
make whatever arguments you think best, and use your own words – this will be the most effective. If
possible, give information about your own personal experience of the Archives. Your letter does not need
to be long to be effective!
A. Objections to the removal of Archives from West Suffolk which can be summed up as:
1) Financial concerns
2) Loss of confidence in local government
3) Loss of heritage and the effect on the community
4) Loss of access, leading to loss of users
5) Loss of volunteers
6) Loss of expertise and knowledge
7) Loss to the collection
8) Comparison with neighbouring counties
Section B is a list of email addresses. Please contact the first two addresses and the Suffolk County
Councillor for your ward, plus as many other councillors as you can. It is most effective if you send
individual emails.
B. List of Email Addresses
Please contact these two addresses and the Councillor for your ward (see overleaf), and as many other Suffolk
County Councillors as you can.
SuffolkArchivesEngagement@suffolk.gov.uk (Suffolk Archives)
philip.faircloth-mutton@suffolk.gov.uk (County Councillor and Cabinet Member for Equality and
Communities – responsibility for the Archives Service is part of this role; appointed 6 Feb 2024)
If you need to find your ward, please visit: County councillors – Suffolk County Council.
Thank you for your time and support!
This information was compiled by Sue Spiller (History Recorder for Ixworth and Ixworth Thorpe) and Dr Rachel Wood (Suffolk Archives user from Newmarket).