As part of the exciting move of Bromley Central Library to its new High Street location, related plans are advancing for a new Archive and Museum store to support the borough’s historic collections.
The modern new Central Library in the heart of Bromley town centre will continue to showcase the borough’s heritage, including with a museum display of local historic items. To support this, a purpose-built and expanded Archive and Museum Store will replace the existing museum store at the underused depot next to Priory Gardens, which is no longer used for park operations.
Interested residents are invited to come and find out more about the specialist facility, which will ensure a controlled environment is established for the historic items, including careful fire protection and humidity control, in line with the council’s related statutory duties.
Two engagement sessions are being held at the Priory Gardens depot, with members of the project team on hand to talk through the plans and answer questions about the specialist new facilities. These sessions will take place on Wednesday 18 June 12pm to 2pm and Saturday 21 June 10am to 12pm.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Executive Councillor for Renewal Recreation and Housing said: “It is important that we take the necessary steps to preserve our heritage, with these plans ensuring important local relics of our past remain available to residents as needed long into the future. I encourage interested residents to join the engagement sessions to find accurate details about these plans, which will in no way diminish the beauty of the adjacent much-loved park but will fulfil an important function for the entire of the borough on a currently underused site.”
Works for the Museum and Archive store will include landscaping improvements to further enhance the surrounds of the much-loved park, with all mature trees being retained and unrequired land from the depot site to be greened and returned to the park’s land to be enjoyed by residents.
Residents also able to view and comment on proposals online, with feedback from the engagement sessions helping to inform a planning application for the Museum and Archive store in the coming months, with residents then able to provide comments in the usual way. The proposed location for the store was confirmed by the Council’s Executive earlier this year following a careful examination of options across the borough.
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For media enquiries, please contact James George, Senior Public Affairs Officer, on 020 8313 4565 or email james.george@bromley.gov.uk.