Lewes Castle currently houses the records office for East Sussex County Council. © 24 Hour Museum/Graham Spicer

Brighton and Hove Council and East Sussex County Council could join forces to create a new multi-million pound archive centre.

At a meeting of its culture, recreation and tourism committee, Brighton and Hove council agreed to support East Sussex County Council’s preferred building location at Woollards Field opposite Stanmer Park in Falmer.

The new centre, called The Keep, would cost between £14 and £22m and is hoped to be completed and open to the public by 2011. It would replace the old East Sussex Record Office at Lewes Castle and storage facilities at Brighton and Hove’s existing archives sites.

Lewes Castle holds records and artefacts dating to 1101 including a tooth from William the Conqueror’s daughter.

Neither council has yet agreed to funding although it is hoped that up to half would come from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A business plan and full appraisal of the scheme is now underway.