I would like to thank everyone who took time to respond to my recent enquiry
about Building Control records.
There were several responses which demonstrated that offices are using quite
different criteria in appraising these records.
Some offices employ detailed guidelines (indicating specific classes of
building work to be retained) whilst others have a more general approach
(e.g. relying on the "anything important or unusual" formula).
Some apply a "cut-off date", keeping everything before a certain date
(although there is disagreement e.g. 1920, 1948) and appraising later
records.
Respondents highlighted the importance of these records for local building
research and as a means of interesting the local community in archives.
My original request was prompted by concerns over resources and the desire
for consistency in our own appraising methods but I am now aware that there
is a general problem. Perhaps we ought to arrive at some sort of national
consensus - with input from all "stakeholders" - for appraising large
batches of local authority records like these (I vaguely remember a
discussion on the list about a year ago concerning rate books). I was not
directed to any national guidelines (apart from the draft retention schedule
guidelines for local authority records of the Records Management Society).
One thing is certain: there is no way that a county record office like ours
can keep (or justify keeping) all building control or planning records for
its area so hard decisions have to be made! One solution is to follow a dual
approach of sampling (e.g. retaining all files for every tenth year) and
appraising records in between (retaining only significant or"unusual"
developments - perhaps more specific criteria can be created). Furthermore,
there seems no satisfactory archival logic for discriminating between
earlier and later periods.
Chris Gilliam
Oxfordshire Record Office is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. A CARN ticket is required for looking at original documents. This can
be obtained by bringing an official document with name, address and
signature (e.g. driving licence, bank statement and credit card) and two
passport-sized photos. Booking is recommended.
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