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Author Topic: Broadfield House to Close  (Read 213005 times)

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Offline Frank

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #130 on: January 26, 2009, 06:48:02 PM »
The location of Broadfield House is not ideal from the point of view of a visitor attraction. It is not easily accessible to many people who visit the Red House Cone, which is shown, by the number of visitors to each Museum. There are in excess of 20,000 more visitors to the Cone each year, which is one of the reasons why I would like to look at the option of relocating the entire collection to a single site. Clearly, this would have to entail an expansion of the existing Red House site. 
 
I have called for a study on the feasibility of moving the collections and housing them in the Glass Quarter at The Red House Cone.

I appreciate that this will not be a process that can happen overnight and there will be a great deal of work that needs to be completed to ensure that we have covered all bases and understand fully the complexity and cost of what we would like to achieve. 

This somewhat contradicts the intention of saving 120,000 per annum! One a feasibility study... cost at least 30,000.

Admitting the space is insufficient at the Red Cone can only mean constructing a facility of similar size to Broadfield house... cost several millions, cost of financing would thus be tens of thousands of extra costs to the council. Relocation of the collection securely could also figure around 500,000. Selling Broadfield house would be difficult in this climate and have a relatively low input to financing the move.

Where is the saving? There is no possible way to achieve a saving by relocating such a Museum unless someone else is providing a grant to do so and if that was the case surely it would have been mentioned from the start as an enhancement program.

I guess the reality is that it never occurred to them that anyone would care and are now struggling to find a face saving way out.

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Offline aa

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #131 on: January 26, 2009, 09:20:19 PM »
272 signatures in 24 hours is a good start but nowhere near enough to make the council give an irrevocable commitment to ensure the survival of Broadfield House.

One way everyone can help is to send an email to all your friends, families and contacts - indeed everyone in your address book - asking them to sign the online petition and including the link  http://www.gopetition.com/online/24751.html so that they they can click through to the petition.

You can also ask them to forward it to all their address book contacts, and so on.

 :)
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Offline nigel benson

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #132 on: January 27, 2009, 01:08:19 AM »
                        HELP SAVE BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM
                                             YOUR VOICE counts

Hello All,

I too received the rather underwhelming email from cll Karen Shakespeare. Rereading it in a number of other places has not improved my opinion of it. As has been said it seems to be very much a letter that had to be sent out.

There had heard a rumour, now confirmed by a counsellor, that it was indeed the staff at Broadfield House who had been 'commissioned' to undertake the feasibility study. In my opinion, this is just a ruse to say that the thing was ongoing, after all those same staff also have to continue with all their other duties whilst undertaking the study - so how long would it end up taking..........?

It still doesn't explain the logic of making the decision BEFORE the result of the feasibility study was known. What sort of 'joined-up thinking' is that?

How do they expect people who do not have the experience of doing such a study to produce something that is adequate for the task? Leave alone the question of asking/instructing demoralised staff to actively participate in their own job loss? That is, of course, providing that the outcome were to prove that there was indeed a saving! On the other hand, if there were no saving there is a possibility that the staff could be accused of bias. All in all, not a satisfactory way of going about such an important analysis.

Concerning rumour, there has been very little allowed to creep into our observations on the board, since it would not benefit the argument against the decision to downsize the museum (however none of us are perfect, since this is such a contentious subject :huh:). Wherever possible things have been checked out to try to eliminate this occurrence.

As for thoughts about the current economic climate, and possible replacement building(s) of similar size to Broadfield House.

Firstly, I think we are all aware of that climate, either directly or through the media.

Secondly, the purpose of the exercise is to stop this ridiculous decision being made. Then, and only then, can we become constructive. The campaign must surely have demonstrated the strength of feeling about this, the ONLY, dedicated public glass museum in this country, which is recognised worldwide, by other museums, as well as collectors, researchers, writers, and, dare I mention, dealers.

The aim for the future of the museum has long been to increase its size to house all the facilities it has, so that the archive and store(s) are all under one roof along with the displays of glass - however, to that end the much favoured Himley Hall solution sadly never came about.

If the council wants everthing centred in one area it has long been my contention that part of the old Stuart's White House site would be the logical place as there are two buildings and space for car parking there that would quite probably fit the bill. I have found, through this campaign, that I am not the only person to consider this a possible solution (and yes, that would involve major capital outlay).

Had the council any nouce about them, they would see that there is a great deal of goodwill, not to mention knowledge and experience, out here that could be harnessed to good effect, but not until they see the light and understand the value and quality of what they hold in trust for generations to come -  whether local, national or international. This is the history of the area, that is of interest to a large audience.

While I'm about it I really don't think the huge experience and ability of the staff that have so ably kept Broadfield House running is as highly valued as it should be. It may be their job, but they're darn good at it.

As a final thought, planning to move any museum is a long term consideration involving a number of logistical factors that takes time. To try and cram this process into a small time frame is only likely to lead to distaster - just as in the same way if you don't prepare when you move house!!

Nigel


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Offline Anne

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #133 on: January 27, 2009, 04:52:09 AM »
A friend of mine who is a county councillor in Cumbria tells me that over 60% of capital funding such as would be required for developing a new all-in-one museum/archive/library/visitor centre site can come from government or external sources (i.e. non-council) especially if job creation is involved, so the local council would not have to find all the funding from its own budget.
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Offline aa

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #134 on: January 27, 2009, 10:12:55 AM »
I sent links to the Times letter to all Dudley councillors.

Cllr. Malcolm Davis replied thus:

"In response to your article in the Times, can I also say that we pay more than this to remove graffiti"

Hello & Welcome to the Board! Sometimes my replies are short & succinct, other times lengthy. Apologies in advance if they are not to your satisfaction; my main concern is to be accurate for posterity & to share my limited knowledge
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Offline yelooc

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #135 on: January 27, 2009, 10:26:53 AM »
To anyone who is selling glass on eBay:

Please add to your eBay listings the following statement to promote the petition:

" Broadfield House Glass Museum is threatened with closure. Please sign the online petition to help save this National Treasure. For details of the closure and the petition please follow the link. http://www.gopetition.com/online/24751.html . Thank you in advance for your help"

Thanks
Graham
 

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Offline tropdevin

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #136 on: January 27, 2009, 10:44:36 AM »
Hi Graham

Good idea to use eBay as a platform, but has anyone tried adding the direct link? eBay morons staff normally (if anything eBay does is normal...) cancell adverts with live links if these are not for more information about the object on sale.

Alan
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Offline Bernard C

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #137 on: January 27, 2009, 12:02:28 PM »
This morning the latest edition of The Glass Association's The Glass Cone arrived on my doormat, complete with the comprehensive information sheet Broadfield House in Crisis, explaining this situation and urging members to object.

I thank Brian Clarke, Chairman of The Glass Association, together with his committee and other officials, for their speedy action, much appreciated.

Bernard C.  :hiclp: :hiclp: :hiclp:
Happy New Year to All Glass Makers, Historians, Dealers, and Collectors

Text and Images Copyright © 2004–15 Bernard Cavalot

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Offline Frank

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #138 on: January 27, 2009, 12:19:26 PM »
I sent links to the Times letter to all Dudley councillors.

Cllr. Malcolm Davis replied thus:

"In response to your article in the Times, can I also say that we pay more than this to remove graffiti"



So they can keep Broadfield House AND save more than 120,000 by embracing the cultural value of Graffiti - with the appropriate encouragement this can be a great way of reflecting contemporary culture, an approach used effectively elsewhere. It just needs imagination  :-\

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Offline simon bruntnell

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #139 on: January 27, 2009, 12:46:57 PM »
With regard to BHM moving to The Ruskin Glass Centre, I am based here,it would never happen as far as I could see it. For the last seven years this site which is owned by The Ruskin Mill Educational Trust has been
applying for funding to develop this site based into its educational/business working model. The college work with students with special needs, but the businesses give time and work with the students as part of their learning process, The Ruskin Glass centre was funded by several bodies (mainly Advantage West Midlands) to develop that part of site into working units local businesses
with a glass basis. The Glass House College who in fact owns the site, would be developed by mainly Learning Council Skills Money (there are other bodies, lotto,English Heritage etc involved)  . The plans have been drawn up for year's and there no extra space on the site. In fact the car park is a bit of a problem already(before development). The site is for education and businesses, but as I mentioned  in an earlier email the learning skills council have just put a hold on the money they had, and I like the term 'ring fenced' for three months (there must have been a hole in the fence) which has in real terms, put the site close down for development and move out for at least a year.  We where supposed to be back here in 2010. But, again because it's all match funding nothing can happen until we have a full pack of cards to play with.

To be true full if a great bails of cash did fall from the sky and Dudley council did do it's study properly and they did buy the rest of the Stuarts site across the road from the cone (which in fact does have a tunnel)and loads of parking it would be quite a good proposition if done properly. It would in fact let the museum open up it collection which is in storage to be seen. Some people are saying that the site opposite has been sold, some say not and its still owned by Waterfords I'm not sure. My farther in law was in negotiation to buy the site some time ago with some other guy's for development, but they pulled out after they discovered some form of ransom strip that the waterways wanted or owed, so the pen never reached the paper but it was close. So in the present climate and with Waterfords situation, Dudley council could be in a good position to purchase the site, again if done properly.

One thing I am certain, is there are a couple of people at Dudley Council who wished they had never opened there mouth's without quite thinking  what they where going to let themselves into. Well done to all
Simon Bruntnell (photographer to the Poor & Infamous)

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