Private Building Permit Files of the Municipal Council of Sines and the Sines Area Office (1971-1989)

Abstract

The information unit Private building work record files in the municipality of Sines has its origins in a shared responsibility between two entities: the municipality of Sines and the Sines Area Office (GAS). Between 1971 and 1975, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 270/71, the GAS assumed responsibility for licensing private works in the municipalities of Sines and Santiago do Cacém, within the scope of the development of the region's industrial and logistics complex. This resulted in shared production and custody that continued until 1989, when all files were transferred to the Sines Municipal Council.

The study analyses the implications of this sharing on the integrity of the archival link, on the communicability, accessibility and conservation of information. To this end, documentary research on the history of GAS and the concept of custodial history were undertaken, complemented by an analysis of the files held in the Municipal Archive. It concludes that the dual responsibility influenced the organisation, storage, description tools and access to data on property licensing. Although this series exists in all municipal councils, its administrative and custodial history gives it unique characteristics in the Sines area, distinguishing it from the rest.