SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has welcomed news that plans for a new archive building in Flintshire have made a major step forward.
Flintshire County Council supported by Denbighshire County Council, has appointed Wynne Construction as the lead contractor to build a new archive building on land adjacent to Theatr Clwyd,
Mr Rowlands said: “I am delighted to hear that a contractor has now been appointed to build a new centre for the North East Wales Archive.
“I was fully supportive of this development when it was announced that financial support for the new building had been awarded from the National Lottery Heritage Fund so I am pleased to hear that it has now come a step closer.
“It is an extremely important project which will allow the archives to eventually be in one purpose built building and it makes a lot of sense for the two local authorities to work together on this as I am sure a collaborative approach will guarantee the future of the region’s historical records.”
North East Wales Archive, NEWA, which looks after the region’s unique and irreplaceable written and pictorial history, dating back more than 900 years, was formed in April 2020 when Denbighshire Archives, Ruthin and Flintshire Record Office, Hawarden, came together to offer a joint service for the region, bringing together their nationally important archive collections.
The project, called ‘Creative Archives’, has been made possible by a development grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund alongside financial commitments from both Flintshire and Denbighshire local authorities and Welsh Government.
The funding supports the initial phase of the project, enabling detailed architectural designs, business and activity planning ahead of a second-round funding application in 2026 and planning approval. Should this be successful, construction work on the new archive centre should commence late spring/summer of 2027 and be ready for opening during autumn 2028.
For anyone wishing to learn more about the service that NEWA offers or the latest news on the Creative Archives project, please visit the North East Wales Archive website.
