Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environment and culture, said: “We are not shutting the glass museum and attempting to either put the collections in the existing space at Red House Cone or into storage, which appears to be a major worry for many people who have contacted me
I have permission from Councillor Dave Tyler to post the email below, please note the final paragraph that I have highlighted in red. I will leave it to readers to make their own judgment, in respect of the quote above
Councillor Tyler, in a separate email explained:
Perhaps my family history makes me more in tune with the glass industry. I have a long line of ancestors in the industry including my great grandfather William Breese who was apprenticed to Henry Gething Richardson in 1885.
I have even transcribed his apprentice papers for inclusion in the Broadfield archive.
His father Thomas Breese also worked for Richardsons. And it goes on and on and on !!
From: cllr.dave.tyler@dudley.gov.uk
Subject: Broadfield House closure
Date: 25 January 2009 22:01:54 GMT
To: adam@aaronsonnoon.com
Hello Adam,
I am the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Dudley Council and you may already know that I am totally opposed to the closure of Broadfield House.
If it is to close at some stage in the future it should only be AFTER all interested parties have had a chance to explore ALL alternatives and funding with a view to creating a far better facility. Such a building should include Museum space, training, research, storage and lecture theatre facilities.
If we are to retain and improve our glass heritage them we must all get around a table first before any action is taken.
There is no point in announcing a closure first then expecting everything to fall into place.
If this decision had been made by a business it would fail dramatically and shareholders would call the executives to account.
To announce the closure as part of next years Budget proposals with a possibility of a feisibility study thrown in after the decision has, I am convinced, been made just to placate people.
I understand your feelings about siting a petition at Broadfield House and I would personally have no objection but I don't run the Council.
If you need an example of petitions against closure being completed within closure threatened buildings look no further than the recent closure of primary schools throughoput Dudley and a local swimming baths at Brierley Hill.
As far as I understand there were petition forms in all those Council owned premises ready for parents, friends, family and users to sign and I see no reason why Broadfield House could not do the same.
As far as employees are concerned there may well be some possible threat of discipliniary action which hangs over any officer openly criticising a Council policy as their employer.
One further point and this is purely political.
Whatever any Conservative Councillor says between now and 2nd March when the final Budget setting meeting takes place at Dudley Council House all Conservative Councillors will vote "In Favour" of their own Budget and therefore "In Favour" of the closure of Broadfield House from 1st April 2010. Their Cabinet of 9 Councillors have already agreed this course and their Lead Member for Finance will present the report on 2nd March for ratification.
Hope this helps
Regards
Dave