CONTROVERSIAL plans to move York's archives outside the city walls are set to be supported despite massive opposition.

Leisure chief Charlie Croft is to recommend that City of York councillors back a scheme to move the historic records out of their current base beside the city's art gallery.

They would be relocated at a new library planned for the University of York.

The news follows a campaign started nearly two years ago after city archivist Rita Freedman blew the whistle on early plans for the move.

She was briefly suspended from her position and issued with a written warning for insubordination after she wrote to every member of the council pointing out that discussions were taking place.

At the time, Mr Croft denied any proposals had been made.

But her action caused concerned users to set up the Friends of York City Archives, strongly opposing a move.

Mr Croft said a council report, expected to be released today, suggests that the proposal gets the council's backing. "It asks members to agree in principle to accept the university's offer to locate the city archive in the university's proposed new development and to conduct consultation with local stakeholder groups," he said.

"Of course, we have to remember that the university is at the moment putting in Stage 2 of a bid for Lottery cash for the scheme.

"It would not be irreversible, but it would certainly be saying that we have made the decision to be part of it and we would move on to looking to how that should happen."

Dr Charles Kightley, chairman of the Friends of York City Archives, which has about 80 members, said: "It seems the council has already made a decision without any consultation with us or any of the depositors of the archives.

"It has said we will be consulted later, but that is like saying you are going to be executed, but we'll discuss the way in which it is done afterwards. It is ridiculous.

"The council has always pursued this in a very determined way and they've almost seemed certain that it was going to happen from the start.

"It seems there's very little we can do now, apart from make a great noise and perhaps claim the council has not acted properly because of the lack of consultation."

The group has always claimed moving the archives would cut links with the historic city and would make access by users more difficult.

But council officers said it would be a better use of public money and would improve the service.

Councillors will discuss the plan next Friday.

Updated: 11:33 Friday, February 01, 2002