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Author Topic: Broadfield House to Close  (Read 213019 times)

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Offline Janet H

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #330 on: June 16, 2009, 10:28:17 PM »
Hi Everyone, I've received the following info from Lynda Waltho MP’s office, regarding the debate in Westminster on Thursday 18th June 2009 about the fate of Broadfield House Glass Museum.

As per request below we all need to be contacting our MPs with our concerns, so these can be raised with Barbara Follett - the culture minister.
 
 
The debate on Thursday is an Adjournment Debate and follows the main business of the day in the Commons chamber, so it will be whenever the main business finishes.  On a Thursday this is usually about 5pm, but it could be any time between 4 and 6pm.  The debate will last for 30 minutes, so Lynda will speak for about 15 minutes and the Minister will respond.  Other interested MPs can speak briefly but they have to let Lynda know beforehand.  As it’s an adjournment debate it doesn’t have a vote.  It is a vehicle whereby MPs can raise matters of concern in the House of Commons and have a minister respond. This is about getting it on the record and also holding (in this case) Dudley Council to account for their decisions etc.
 
Campaign supporters in should contact their own MPs and ask them to lobby the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Barbara Follett will be the Minister replying to Lynda on Thursday so if she were to receive letters/emails from other MPs (or your supporters could email her directly) supporting the campaign then that would be great.[/i]

http://www.barbara-follett.org.uk/contact/index.html



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Offline aa

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #331 on: June 17, 2009, 09:52:58 AM »
Latest article by Bev Holder of the Stourbridge News outlining the dangerous state of repair of the Red House Cone site. Clearly there are safety issues at stake here and in the light of this article I personally wouldn't be entering this building until a full survey by a major firm of structural engineers has been published given it the all clear.


http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4442366.Fears_over_cone_s_future/

See also the related issue of the closure of the International Glass Centre.

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4440972.Another_blow_to_glass_industry/



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Offline sph@ngw

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #332 on: June 17, 2009, 11:58:27 AM »
I have sent an email to Barbara Follet, the Culture Minister who is both a friend and neighbour as well as being my MP!  She and Ken are strong Gordon Brown supporters, not that that is a guarantee of anything!
I see there are over 72,000 references on the internet now mentioning the closure.

I am discussing a plan with Barbara Beadman, Chairman of the Friends and a fellow glass manufacturer to try to obtain some Heritage Lottery Funding to keep Broadfield House Museum in situ with a contribution towards the upkeep of the Museum, but it seems a valuation of £5m in being bandided about ( Surely in the depressed property market it cannot be so high, can anyone local get a rough estimate from an estate agent?).
I will also speak to The Glass Sellers Company about it at the Court meeting tomorrow. I know they are supportive, but as yet have not really got involved.

I think we must start to be pro-active of how to improve and raise the status of the Museum soon rather than negative, and just say "Do not close it"!

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Offline Janet H

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #333 on: June 17, 2009, 01:06:56 PM »
Hello there!

I have an estate agent contact who thinks the building as it is commercial, is worth in the region of 1.7 million. She thought the land is only worth something when planning permission has been granted.

Great news about Barbara Follett and thanks again for your support.

Check out this article in Stourbridge News.

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4442366.Fears_over_cone_s_future/

Just shows Dudley Council isn't listening as on 3rd June 2009 I submitted a list of questions to the Select Comittee council meeting, and the first one on the list was
 
1. There are concerns about the structural integrity of the red cone site, in particular movement of the red cone which could cause it to implode, and flooding of the tunnels underneath the red cone site.
Can you confirm that a full structural survey of the red cone site will be done, prior to moving the glass collection held at Broadfield House Glass Museum and the results will be made public?

 
This was put on the official record, however they now seem to have 'forgotten'


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Offline flyboy90

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #334 on: June 17, 2009, 08:04:11 PM »
I think everyone should read the comment of 2364 Glass Association petition list its true I,ve been there when its
raining.
Flyboy90

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Offline Anne

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #335 on: June 18, 2009, 02:22:47 AM »
Is it also worth reminding UK citizens of the Downing Street petition?
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/savebroadfield/ (Deadline to sign up by: 03 August 2009) and the campaign's blogspot: http://saveourglassheritage.blogspot.com/

I also found another blog from someone whose ancestors worked in the glass industry at Wordsley: http://www.d-log.info/?p=6818
Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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Offline sph@ngw

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #336 on: June 18, 2009, 10:48:48 AM »
Here is my acknowledgement from Barbara Follet MP Minister of Culture for reference.



Dear Stephen Pollock-Hill,

Thank you for writing to me to say:

Subject: Seeking my assistance

Dear Barbara,
I wish to express my concern about the pending closure in April 2010 of the Broadfield House Glass Museum in Kingswinford, in my capacity both as a glass maker who has left some of my archives to the Museum, and as Chairman of The British Glass Education Trust, and curator and owner of The British Domestic Glass Museum 1900 -2000.
Dudley Borough Council has decided, without any consultation or definite plan of replacement, to close the Museum in 2010, putting the staffon notice.
This is the leading glass museum in the country, of its kind dedicated soley to glass, and one of the most important in the world, containing archives of over 200 years of the Crystal Industry which was based in the Dudley area,covering famous names like Stuart Crystal, Royal Brierly, Thomas Webb & Sons, Webb Corbett, Richardsons,Walsh Walsh, to name a few that have all now closed down or the trade names sold off.Only a  couple like Tudor Crystal and Plowden & Thompson remain.
It is a major part of the  cultural heritage of the area, and several thousand people have signed a petition against its closure and there are over 72,000 article on the internet about this!
Dudley Borough Council( and its predecessors) have benefitted by many millions of pounds in rates from employers and employees over the years, so this seems a very shoddy, unprofessional and undemocratic way to behave!
I would appreciate your views and bearing in mind national culture and heritage is at stake, (this is not just a local affair!) your favourable judgement , that the closure be postponed, at the very least until all alternatives have been fully discussed of the requirement to best house, preserve and improve the history of glassmaking in the West Midlands.
Kind regards,
Stephen Pollock-Hill. 


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Offline Anne

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #337 on: June 18, 2009, 07:28:55 PM »
Watch Linda Waltho speak. followed by the Minister for Museums, Barbara Follett's response here:  (starts at time 07:16:00 ends 07:49:17)
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=4213

Well done to Linda for expressing the concerns not just of her constituents, but also of us glass enthusiasts wherever we may be. Let's hope that the commitment which Barbara Follett appears to have to keeping the collection intact and on display is borne out by reality, and that Dudley MBC take note that the eyes of voters in the borough and beyond are watching them, and that they do the right thing by the collection.
Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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Offline Janet H

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #338 on: June 18, 2009, 09:00:16 PM »
Lynda Waltho MP did a great job of raising our questions in Parliament today

You can watch the debate directly on my blog, http://saveourglassheritage.blogspot.com

without having to fast forward the Parliament TV 7hr 16min in.

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Offline Anne

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Re: Broadfield House to Close
« Reply #339 on: June 18, 2009, 09:22:07 PM »
Great, thanks for the direct link, Janet.
Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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