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1. Policy statement and purpose

This policy explains how and why Gloucestershire Archives uses closed circuit television (CCTV) on its premises (Gloucestershire Heritage Hub) and outlines its responsibilities in doing so.

2. Scope

The policy applies to people working at, and visiting, Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, including staff, volunteers, partners, contractors and all visitors.

3. Background

Gloucestershire Archives gathers archive collections and local and family history resources to ensure they are kept secure and made accessible.

We are an accredited archive service recognised by The National Archives as the place of deposit for public records relating to Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire.

We are a Gloucestershire County Council service.  By agreement, we also provide an archive service for South Gloucestershire Council and are the appointed Record Office for the Diocese of Gloucester.

We are a lead partner in the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, a network of local people and organisations with a common interest in our historic county's documented heritage.

4. CCTV use

This policy is in line with the guidance produced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/cctv-and-video-surveillance/.

Gloucestershire Archives has been using CCTV for over 20 years as part of our raft of security measures to protect the unique and irreplaceable archives in our care. We also aim to deter or detect criminal activity and address anti-social behaviour on our site. In doing so, we are mindful of our obligations under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018.  Use of CCTV is included in our Privacy Notice and is included on Gloucestershire County Council’s Information Asset Register.  A Data Protection Impact Assessment has been undertaken and will be reviewed if changes are made to the CCTV implementation.

There are notices displayed prominently outside and inside the building informing customers, visitors and staff that CCTV is in operation. 

Access to the CCTV recordings is strictly limited and controlled.  Only the County Archivist (the accountable officer for the CCTV system), Deputy, Buildings & Collections Security Officer and a named Archive Assistant are allowed to view CCTV recordings. Only the County Archivist, and Deputy, can authorise the sharing of this data with the police or an authorised individual, following a formal request.

CCTV records will be shared with the police when appropriate.  This requires a formal request, and information will be shared via an encrypted email package.  We will retain a copy in our safe for the duration of the enquiry, then delete it.  We will maintain an audit trail of this process.   

We acknowledge that, in law, individuals whose information is recorded have a right to be provided with information relating to them, or to view it. Such requests should be submitted as a Subject Access Request to Gloucestershire County Council. https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/data-protection/your-information-rights/

The recording on the CCTV hard drive is automatically overwritten after 30 days.

5. References

This policy should be read alongside other related Archives policies, to be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/policies

Please see also Gloucestershire County Council’s CCTV & Surveillance Policy first approved February 2021, updated August 2023.

6. Review and revision

This policy will be reviewed every 3 years and when any changes to the CCTV system in use are planned.  This is in line with the Information Commissioner’s recommended good practice to consider whether the use of CCTV is lawful, justified, necessary and proportionate.   Please write to archives@gloucestershire.gov.uk if you wish to give feedback on this policy.

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Version history  

Date of next revision: 2026