£800k Restoration Cost For Archive Building

A building in Dumfries which stores historic records needs £800k worth of repairs, the BBC has reported.

The building used to be a former bookseller's store.

It is understood Dumfries and Galloway Council eventually intend to sell the old TC Farries warehouse and build a new state-of-the-art archive centre in its place.

This proposal has therefore led some councillors to question whether the investment in the old building can be justified. The warehouse needs major roof work as well as an upgrade of its heating and security system. A business case setting out the reasons for the repairs will seek to address the concerns.


Last month, the council confirmed it hoped to build a new archive centre for the town.

The TC Farries building is just one of a number of locations where historic documents are currently stored.

Strategic property manager Peter Nelson told policy and resources committee members that the use of the building had grown over the years.

In addition to housing archive material and sensitive council files, the unit also acts as a recycling centre for office equipment and can be used as emergency office space.

(JP)