ATTEMPTS will be made to avoid job losses as a globally renowned archive in Gwent seeks to bridge a £100,000 funding gap, a meeting has heard.

Gwent Archives joint committee discussed measures to reduce running costs at a meeting on Friday, including the possibility of vacating two rooms at the Ebbw Vale building to reduce rent.

The committee – made up of councillors from all five Gwent councils – also resolved to appeal to the Welsh Government for funding help.

It was also approved that the archive will close to the public on Mondays from January.

Rent of £311,335 is the biggest part of the archives’ premises budget – and negotiations are currently under way with Blaenau Gwent council, the landlord, over reducing this.

However six months of negotiations have yet to bring about an outcome, the meeting heard.

Cllr David Mayer said it was ‘unacceptable’ that nothing has yet been agreed.

He said: “My feeling is that it’s like the First World War in that we are in a fox hole here trying to work out how to defeat the Germans and the officers up above have not got a clue how to do it.”

Councillor Dai Davies, of Blaenau Gwent council, said there had ‘undoubtedly’ been a breakdown in communication.

Cllr Davies said he would meet with a director at the council and raise questions around the issue.

He added: “It annoys me that we are told by the governments we have got a statutory responsibility to provide these services but we are given no money to deliver them.

“If they want us to deliver, they need to provide the funding.”

County archivist, Tony Hopkins, said it was important the ‘rationalisation’ of the service was coherent.

Mr Hopkins said it was important the archive kept its education room – used for meetings, talks, workshops and training – as it was ‘integral’ to the service.

Peter Strong, a co-opted member of the committee, asked what difference it would make to the service to cut one full-time member of staff.

“I know it’s horrible but we are looking at having to cut one or two members of staff, finding savings from elsewhere or getting a big injection of cash,” he said.

But Mr Hopkins said staff cuts would hit the service.

“It is something that’s gone through our minds as well,” he said.

“What it means is extra strain and becoming less efficient because you don’t deliver as well as you would like to and you become less responsive.

“The efficiency of the service becomes poor and you get people complaining.”

Cllr John Guy said the archive was of global importance and called for support from the Welsh Government.

And Mr Hopkins added that the archive had a number of national assets, meaning the archive could warrant support from a higher government level.

The committee agreed to write to the Welsh Government over the issue, as well as agreeing to the possibility of vacating the county archivist office and the deputy county archivist’s room.