RM6168 - Evidence gathering for potential location new archaeological archive building

There is a growing crisis in the provision for archaeological archives resulting from development-led investigations in England. The physical artefacts and records recovered normally go to mainly local authority museums following the completion of investigation work, but more and more local authority museums are either full or near full. An Options Appraisal from 2021 commissioned by Arts Council and Historic England (https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/options-sustainable-archaeological-archives) proposed that a central, national store would be the most appropriate and cost-effective solution. This identified a potential location for a new build purpose-built facility at Wroughton, Wiltshire, on the Science Museum Group site (SMG Wroughton), but this solution requires testing. We are seeking a supplier to review the proposed location for the new build facility against four alternative geographically dispersed locations across England, so that we can ensure that the proposed location is the most appropriate and cost-effective solution.