DUDLEY Council has appointed a team of independent consultants to look into the feasibility of moving Stourbridge’s glass collection from Broadfield House Glass Museum in Kingswnford to Wordsley’s Red House Glass Cone.

Council culture bosses say they want to create an “enhanced visitor attraction in the heart of the historic glass quarter”.

However glass enthusiasts say the Wordsley site is inadequate to house the comprehensive prized collection - which attracts visitors from around the world.

The council has repeatedly insisted a decision will not be made on closing the Compton Drive museum until results of a feasibility study are known - which it now expects will be in the autumn.

Independent consultants L & R Consulting, specialising in tourism and work with museums and heritage attractions, have been appointed to lead the study - which will be conducted in two stages.

Stage one, which should be completed by the end of July/early August, will look at the potential to develop a celebration of glass and quality visitor experience at the cone.

The exercise will look at visitor markets, opportunities for expansion at the cone site and case studies of best practice elsewhere.

Depending on the outcome of stage one, the second stage would see preliminary plans for the new visitor attraction drawn up looking at building proposals and the practicalities and resources required to bring it to fruition.

The final conclusions and recommendations will be published at the end of October/early November.

Councillor David Stanley, Dudley’s cabinet member for environment and culture, said: “Stourbridge is world famous for its glass industry and Dudley Council wants to promote and celebrate it in the best way possible. This independent study will help us assess the most suitable way to do this.”