Broadfield House to Close

[yelooc]

The Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum
5th February 2008, 1.50p.m.

Dear Friends of our museum and glass collection.

I have just spoken to the Deputy Director of the Urban Environment (Dudley MBC) who has had a meeting with the Staff at Broadfield. The outcome is positive and in line with the letters and emails Cllr. Shakespeare has sent out.

A feasibility study will be commencing which will be thorough, robust, and involve external museum consultants. Dudley Council is trying to plan for the long term. They will be developing a long term plan for the Red House site.

Long term decisions will be based upon the findings of the feasibility study and unless another site can duplicate and enhance the offering of Broadfield no long term decision to close Broadfield will be taken.

Thank you to everyone who has pursued this cause.  Everyone is a winner.

Yours sincerely

Barbara P. Beadman
Chairman of The Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum

[Anne]

This is a good step forward Graham, and thanks to Barbara for the update.

I do think we need to be aware that until the feasibility study is done and the whole decision making process is complete and the collection safe either in BH or in a new location with enhanced facilities, that we aren't actually winners.

Dudley's Supplementary Planning Documents for the Glass Quarter are now online, the process takes time to resolve, but input into that planning process is essential if the outcome we all want to see is to be achieved. If no-one responds to the SPD or subsequent consultations then Dudley MBC will do as they please and we'll not be winners, so please do take the time to respond to any planning or other consultation documents issued by the council.

Dudley MBC now has the opportunity to use some imagination, be innovative, and, with the support of the glass community and politicians at UK and EU level, create a world-class museum and archive facility for the collection currently located at Broadfield House. Let's make sure that Dudley MBC know they have our support for such a facility. Onwards and upwards as the saying goes!

[aa]

Hello Adam,
You are quite right, The petition is good but we really need more numbers.
How can we go about this? Apart from word of mouth.
I know spamming isnt the best option but If everyone sends the link to 50 people on email, Letter or any other methods, Just 1 reply from all those is better than none!

Cheers, Nathan Smith

I agree, Nathan.

Even though the council seems to be reacting favourably, anything can happen. Until we have an irrevocable guarantee in writing from the Council that the museum will remain open with the existing staff levels maintained, I think the campaign should continue and we should maintain the momentum.
 

[Bernard C]

Graham et al — I notice that your yellow campaign banner is privately hosted.   Please would you make available on the Glass Association website or elsewhere a similar banner to which we can all link from our websites, emails, and discussions on other forums.

I've several communications on the subject of Broadfield House going out later today, so I would appreciate a fairly speedy response.

Thanks in advance,

Bernard C.  

[chopin-liszt]

Has everybody seen that there is another petition to Downing Street being organised? (I saw you have Anne!).

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/savebroadfield/

I also went to a link somewhere in connection (I think it was aa put the link to Dudley council) with this to look at some pate-de-verre, and I was invited to comment on their website after viewing the pieces.

I did, politely, but in no uncertain terms, ask for Broadfield House Glass Museum to be saved.

[aa]

Sue, I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, as I know you have been campaigning very hard on this, but I would very much advise against having two petitions.

The main petition is doing very well and I think a second petition will confuse the issue. Also if you look on the main petition, you will see that there are international signatories from around 30 different countries, whereas the other one only accepts UK signatures.

Particularly now that the campaign is starting to reach people who may be interested in preserving our cultural heritage but may not be completely nuts about glass, to ask them to sign more than one petition may deter them from signing either. We need to avoid the yawn factor.

So I would suggest that we don't dilute the support and focus it on maintaining the excellent momentum on the main petition.
 

[nigel benson]

Yes Sue,

I saw your previous post as well.

How is that petition being promoted? If it doesn't get a good response then it may well be detrimental to the cause.

I, (and a number of other campaigners), am concerned that the effort to save Broadfield House and its collections and archive is being dissapated - however well meaning the intention behind it  .

(Note: Adam posted whilst I was writing this).

Nigel

[chopin-liszt]

 
Fine.
I merely saw that the person who started it had put it in their "comments" on the main petition - I have been reading and following the main one, as well as spreading it as far as I can amongst friends and other forums I'm on. I didn't think it was a bad idea, so passed it on here.

Please, don't shoot the messenger!

[aa]

How could anyone shoot such a delightful messenger! 

[flyboy90]

The Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum
5th February 2008, 1.50p.m.

Dear Friends of our museum and glass collection.

I have just spoken to the Deputy Director of the Urban Environment (Dudley MBC) who has had a meeting with the Staff at Broadfield. The outcome is positive and in line with the letters and emails Cllr. Shakespeare has sent out.

A feasibility study will be commencing which will be thorough, robust, and involve external museum consultants. Dudley Council is trying to plan for the long term. They will be developing a long term plan for the Red House site.

Long term decisions will be based upon the findings of the feasibility study and unless another site can duplicate and enhance the offering of Broadfield no long term decision to close Broadfield will be taken.

Thank you to everyone who has pursued this cause.  Everyone is a winner.

Yours sincerely

Barbara P. Beadman
Chairman of The Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum

Hello Graham and the other Members of the forum,
I have read the statement made by Barbara, I think its to wooly and too loose. A feasibility study will be commencing, but when will it commence?
If they are planning a long term plan for redhouse cone, Is this seperate from the feasibility study or are they just planning ahead? I dont think this battle is over at all!!! We should continue to campaign untill It is set in stone, and in full view of the public eye! Thats the very least we can do! I feel that the last paragraph is indicating that the friends have won the battle and they can stand down. But this is deffinatley not the case!

Cheers Nathan!

[Anne]

Isn't that what I said above Nathan?!   

[Ettiene]

Hi Y'all,

Barbara Beadman has asked me to post a quick note to say that her letter was written as at 1:50pm today, which is why she dated and time-stamped it. It was based on a conversation with Duncan Lowndes and since then further information has come to light. It was not her intention to give the impression that everything was fine but to let everyone know that progress had been made and that based on the information she received prior to 1:50pm things were looking positive.

Indications are that requests confirming in writing what was discussed may not been forthcoming and so a second letter will be issued tomorrow to clarify issues that inexplicably remain outstanding.

It is disappointing but it was thought genuine progress had been made.


Will post information on the Friends web site tomorrow.



All the best



Ettiene

[aa]

I've also had a chat with Barbara this evening and it certainly does sound as if there is a breakdown of communication between the various Council members and executives, which is not surprising in the circumstances. I've formed the impression that the right hand is not talking to the left hand and there certainly seems to be more than one agenda. It appears that whatever Duncan Lowndes may have said earlier today, and this may well have been in good faith, the budget cuts remain and the Cabinet are going to vote the budget in, and presumably BHGM out, unless we press on with the campaign.

As stated above in Ian Pearson's letter:

"I think as an immediate first step the Council should assure the current staff at Broadfield House that their jobs are secure.  Following that they should, in examining the feasibility of options to enhance and improve the current offer, work closely with the Friends, The Glass Association and the Glass Circle."

The silence is deafening.

[yelooc]

Hi,

Adam's post seems to be correct; the council are in a complete mess; there's no leadership; no formal statement and a pending budgetary decision without any high level strategic thinking.

It's time they were asked some direct questions about who the decision makers are. We should re-double our efforts to get to the bottom of this. I suggest polite emails asking what's going on.

Graham

[aa]

Last week I sent an email to Councillor Karen Shakespeare:

see post 188 above for the text which refers to the complex feasibility study proposed.

I certainly think that this is a very constructive reply but as with all these things I shall be reading it carefully a few times before responding. 

I have now replied as follows:

"Dear Karen,

Thank you for your letter of 2nd February.

Your proposed feasibility study seems very thorough and well planned and I note that you will be commissioning a professional in the field.  I shall be interested in learning who you plan to appoint, in due course.

From the enquiries that I have made, I am given to understand that a feasibility study of this nature is likely to cost the Council somewhere in the region of £25,000.

I am slightly confused as to how you will be sourcing this funding. I had been under the impression that the proposed closure of Broadfield House Glass Museum was related to the need to reduce expenditure not increase it.

Perhaps you would be kind enough to elucidate.

Thank  you,

Kind regards

Adam Aaronson FRSA"