Greenwich borough archive and museum petition given response by council
Greenwich Council have offered a response after a petition was signed by 2,110 requesting improved access to the borough’s archives.
The response may underwhelm, as it states the council will help the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust “provide a reading room facility to residents, with access to the archives on four consecutive days each month from Spring 2024”.
The borough’s museum and archive was formerly housed in the Royal Arsenal with regular access until evicted to make way for Woolwich Works which ran £12 million over the publicly stated budget.
It has since struggled and needed bailouts and loans while parts of the building was deemed unfit for purpose.
Since then access has been greatly restricted with councillors asking about the situation for some years. See coverage of a Scrutiny Panel meeting back in 2021 here which also raised those cost overruns which were later confirmed.
Since then items from the museum and archive are kept in a Charlton industrial unit with no routine access for the public. Applications for access must be made.
In 2023 a petition was started by former Greenwich councillor and historian Mary Mills. The council’s reply stated 1,660 had signed by December with a further 500 since.
The authority also state that “We will meet again with the Historical Society and the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust in six months to review the arrangement.”
‘… items from the museum and archive are kept in a Charlton industrial unit with no routine access for the public.’ This says everything about the cultural vandalism.
What a disgrace, a borough with a rich history that nobody has access to. I worked on the millennium embroideries which were promised a permanent display. Now they’re shoved in some storage unit, without proper care, and are more than likely getting damaged or damp. Such a waste.