The relocation of the Buckinghamshire County archives to Tesco High Wycombe is a ‘win-win’ for the town, a councillor has said.

The archives are currently housed in the basement of Buckinghamshire Council’s Walton Street tower block in Aylesbury but are being moved to Tesco’s Denmark Street superstore in Wycombe at the Eden Shopping Centre.

Bucks councillor Dominic Barnes told this week’s cabinet meeting: “I think it is absolutely fantastic that the archives are coming to Wycombe.”

He added: “The fact that the archives will be in the centre of Eden will give people an opportunity to see the archives, do some shopping and bring some money to the economy, so as far as I am concerned it is a win-win for Wycombe.”

Tesco is downsizing into just the ground floor of the building it leases from the council, freeing up the first and second floors.

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The cabinet member for housing and regeneration John Chilver claimed that the archives needed rehousing because the current arrangements were ‘inadequate and unsuitable’ and the council was ‘in danger’ of losing its National Archives accreditation.

He added: “Relocation of the archives will provide improved storage, greater public accessibility as well as areas of public exhibitions and displays.”

The remainder of the space above Tesco will be used for council offices, including space for 170 desks.

The building will house services currently based out of the council’s Queen Victoria Rd site in Wycombe and the closed King George V House offices in Amersham.

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