Glass exhibits could cost £5m to relocate

A closure-threatened glass museum in the Black Country has earned a stay of execution after it emerged moving the site's glass collection could cost up to £5 million.

Leisure bosses had hoped to shave £120,000 from next year's museums budget by closing Broadfield House Glass Museum in Compton Drive, Kingswinford. Campaigners feared Broadfield House would shut in April as part of council proposals to create a world-class museum housing all of the borough's glass at the Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley.

But the plans have been shelved after consultants said it would cost between £3 million and £5 million to move 6,000 pieces to the cone in Wordsley.

Cabinet member for regeneration and deputy council leader Councillor Les Jones said today: "Broadfield House will not close until the new facility is ready to take the glass.

"That certainly won't be by April."

Janet Hendry, leader of the Save Our Glass Heritage campaign group which has been fighting to save Broadfield House, welcomed the announcement.

"That is fantastic news, it is what we have been working towards," she said.

"Now we can start a dialogue with the council and work with them to create a better facility for the borough in the future.

L&R Consultants, who have been appointed to investigate the options for the glass museums, told a packed public meeting about the estimated cost of bringing the Cone up to scratch.

The council ran a one-off series of tours to show members of the public how much room was available to expand exhibition space at the Cone. An increase in gallery rooms would only be possible if Dudley Council's £250,000 bid for the site's tearoom and redundant Stuart Crystal shop is successful.