Gloucestershire Archives Public Task Statement

You can download a Word version of this statement here.

This statement sets out the functions carried out by Gloucestershire Archives and what information is available for re-use under the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.  

1. The Public Task

Gloucestershire Archives gathers, keeps and shares historic archive collections relating to Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire - and local and family history resources relating to Gloucestershire.  A brief overview of our collections is provided in our collections development policy and on our website.  

Gloucestershire Archives is a Gloucestershire County Council service and provides an archives service for South Gloucestershire Council under a service level agreement.  The core functions are carried out within a complex legal framework including

·         Local Government (Records) Act 1962

·         Local Government Act 1972

·         Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967

·         Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, 2010

·         Parochial Registers and Records Measure, 1978 (amended 1992)

·         Manorial Documents Rules 1959 (amended 1963 and 1967)

·         Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.

2. Information available for re-use

You can see, copy and re-use information that is produced by the service (e.g. catalogues, indexes, policies, procedures) free of charge provided it is not subject to Data Protection or a third party agreement. 

You can also see archives and publications held at Gloucestershire Archives free of charge during our opening hours.  You can make a copy of most of these items for personal use but the law for re-use is more restrictive.  Constraints include copyright and Data Protection and are outlined in our copying policy.  The copying policy, arrangements and charges are on our website. 

3.  Information products outside our Public Task

At Gloucestershire Archives we actively seek to maximise the public value of our collections, including by undertaking activities beyond our Public Task.  For example, other organisations or people might fund or commission the digitisation of records in partnership with us, to increase public access or for commercial purposes.  The resulting digital surrogates of records we hold are therefore outside our Public Task.

4. Queries and complaints

If you have any queries or complaints about the re-use of information, please submit them to archives@gloucestershire.gov.uk

5. Document control

6. Date of next revision: 2026