The National Archives will close on Mondays and start charging drivers for parking as bosses attempt to make a yearly saving of £4.2m.
The announcement was made to users of the Kew-based facility yesterday, following an extensive consultation over the summer.
As part of the cost cutting measures - designed to reduce its annual £42m operating costs by 10 per cent - redundancy meetings are also taking place.
But senior managers are hopeful that voluntary redundancies will ensure no one is forced to leave their jobs.
Director of operations and services, Jeff James, said: “What we’ve tried to do is make a decison between the quality of service we provide and the quantity.
“Eighty per cent of the savings made do not affect the public whatsoever.
“These are difficult times and like everybody else we have got to be efficient with the way we use public money.
“Ultimately we are looking to come up with changes that generate long term sustainability for the Archives.”
Reading rooms will open Tuesday to Saturday
Regular visitors to the site had complained that bosses were dumbing down services and losing experts during the process but Mr James “categorically” denied the claims.
From January 4, 2010, reading rooms will open from Tuesday to Saturday only.
However, Mr James said the rooms’ document ordering service would soon be available from 9am instead of 9.30am each day, including Saturday, when the archives will open half an hour earlier than before.
A daily car parking charge of £5 will be introduced by April next year, with the lowest priced annual season ticket costing £75. All charges will adhere to the Goverment’s CO2 emissions based tarriff.
Mr James added: “There is a split in opinion on this - car parking is a very emotive issue.
“Some people are in favour and some objected and it was roughly about the same in terms of numbers.”
There will still be free parking available for visitors with a disability.
All changes are in response to the pressures of increased demand on The National Archives services, particularly from online users.
Chief executive Natalie Ceeney said: “An archive is as much about the present and the future as it is about the past, and these changes will ensure that this organisation is stronger and prepared for the coming years.”
To find out more visit nationalarchives.gov.uk
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