ARTISTS' impressions and blueprints revealing plans for the new Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office will go on show throughout the county.

The record office project is a partnership between Wiltshire County Council and Swindon Borough Council.

The architect's drawings are now on display in the present record office in Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, before a touring exhibition that will go on the road in April.

The touring exhibition follows a successful public exhibition in Chippenham last month.

More than 50 people looked at the plans and talked them over with the architect, David Morriss of Atkins, who also designed the Berkshire and Essex record offices.

The plans show what the new facility on the cattle market site in Chippenham will look like, as well as details of the six heritage services that will be available to the public there.

Staff in the record office will be on hand to explain the plans and listen to any suggestions as to how the design could be further improved.

The projected total cost of the project is around £12.1 million.

Tom Craig, heritage services manager for Wiltshire County Council, said: "We want to give people every opportunity to have their say on the services. The public exhibition on January 29 produced ideas that have now been included in the design.

"We are preparing a touring exhibition to travel around the county in April, but in the meantime we wanted to give visitors the chance to see what the proposals are and have another opportunity to suggest improvements."

The record office provides a window on Wiltshire and Swindon's past by preserving many thousands of documents produced by individuals and organisations in their day-to-day lives down the centuries.

The new facility will also include the local studies library, archaeology service, museums and conservation service, and the Wiltshire Buildings Record.

The collections contain items ranging in date from the 12th century to the present day.

The facility will safeguard Wiltshire and Swindon's recorded history and preserve it for current and future generations.

The office will also enable Wiltshire to meet the British Standard for archives and offer improved facilities for the public, schools and colleges who want to consult the material deposited there.

A bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the scheme was due to be submitted this week.