No decision has been taken to close the glass museum at Broadfield House and there will be no decision before the outcomes and recommendations of a robust feasibility study has been completed.
This first phase of the study included consideration of security issues, display facilities, accessibility
public and professionals, other on site facilities and overall cost effectiveness. The first phase also involved consultation with the glass industry and local people before findings were reported back to the council’s cabinet in December 2009.
At its December meeting Dudley Council’s cabinet approved findings and commissioned further work as part of an ongoing feasibility study in the borough’s glass quarter.
The independent study by a team of professional consultants has been ongoing since May and is looking at the possibility of creating a single iconic glass heritage facility to house the borough’s existing glass collection, which is currently located at the Glass Museum at Broadfield House or in storage.
The cabinet noted the findings of the first stage of the study and asked the consultants to progress to Stage 2 which will develop more detailed proposals and costings for Option B of their report.
Option B asks the consultants to look at the practicalities of bringing the boroughs glass heritage services together onto one site at the cone and developing the former Stuart Crystal shop and associated buildings, which have been purchased by Dudley Council, subject to contract. It will cover such topics as physical/spatial designs, interpretation plans, audience development and marketing strategy, estimated costings and funding strategy, implementation programme and priorities.
The council is currently in discussions with the consultants to determine timescales for phase two.
More information and a brief of the feasibility study, as well as the full stage one report can be found at
www.dudley.gov.uk/museums
The council’s aspiration is to enhance our museums’ service, to create an excellent visitor
experience that is appropriate to our renowned glass collections.
A robust and professional study will seek to test the feasibility of relocating glass
collections from Broadfield House and elsewhere to the Red House Glass Works Museum, known locally as the Red House Glass Cone.
Currently Red House attracts in the region of 22,000 more visitors a year than visit the glass museum at Broadfield House therefore our aspiration is to capitalise on these visitor numbers to increase access to these wonderful collections to as many visitors as possible.
The historic cone at Red House combined with on site glass blowing demonstrations linking through to the superb collections of finished glass should bring to life the art of glass making for visitors of all ages and in turn increase awareness of a significant part of the areas heritage.
