Dear all,

I am carrying out some background research for The South East Museum,
Library and Archive Council into the cost of planned or completed new or
extended archive buildings. SEMLAC is aiming to estimate the cost of
predicted capital expenditure of archive buildings in the next twenty years
in order to ensure that the needs of local authority archives are recognised
in regional planning policy. No easy task. One aim of this work is to help
make sure that consequent local developer contributions for archives
services can be estimated.

With the help of a Professor of Planning from Oxford Brookes University, we
have looked at the means by which we might estimate current building costs
for archive services. We have looked at the Royal Chartered Institute of
Surveyors regular quarterly survey of costs with which planners are
familiar. This is of some use but provides a sample size of 10 and lumps
archive services in with local registrars offices.

Form a search it look as though the list last discussed this issue in
November 2004. It would, therefore, be very helpful to us, if list members
would be prepared to share the costs of new or extended archive buildings
(included those planned but not built) produced between Jan 2005 and now.

Ball park figures are fine, although ideally we are looking for:
- capital cost per metre squared, preferably for different building areas
e.g. storage, public areas, and backroom/staff accommodation
- capital cost per metre squared for initial fit out
- capital cost per metre squared for any land acquisition, car parking and
landscaping, security etc
- date at which cost estimate made

It would also be interesting to know the assumptions by which list members
would estimate future capital needs of their services and any experience of
how local planners react to these estimates of need.

Please let me know if you would like any information provided to be treated
confidentially. I will summarise responses for interested list members.
Please reply to me personally off-list.

With many thanks for your help.

Katie Norgrove