Oldbury Rowley Regis Smethwick Tipton Wednesbury West Bromwich Sandwell’s Heritage Report of the Select Committee on Heritage and Culture Sandwell’s Heritage JULY 2005 Sandwell Heritage Report of The Select Committee on Heritage and Culture Contents Page No 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Sandwell’s Heritage – An Overview 1 1.2 Purpose of Select Committee – Phase 1 2 1.3 Context 2 1.4 Proceedings of The Select Committee 3 1.5 Select Committee’s Achievements to Date 3 1.6 Overarching Recommendations 4 2. Physical Assets 6 2.1 Summary of Arguments Put Before The Select 6 Committee 2.1.1 Historic Buildings, Structures & Parks - Overview 6 2.1.2 Priorities for Historic Buildings, Structures and 8 Parks 2.1.3 Findings from Exemplar Buildings 9 2.1.3.1 Oak House, Oak House Barns and Stocks 9 2.1.3.2 West Bromwich Manor House and Manager’s 9 House 2.1.3.3 Cobbs Engine House and Chimney 10 2.1.3.4 Sandwell Priory and Well 10 2.1.3.5 Ingestre Hall 11 2.1.3.6 Haden Hall and Stable Block, Haden Hill Estate 11 2.1.4 Findings from Other Historic Buildings and Sites 12 2.1.4.1 Visitor Centres 12 2.1.4.2 Heritage Listed Parks 13 Sandwell’s Heritage Page No 2.1.4.3 Conservation Areas 14 2.1.4.4 Chain Shop, Temple Meadow Primary School, 14 Cradley Heath 2.1.4.5 Canal Infrastructure / Bid for World Heritage Status 15 2.1.4.6 Soho Foundry 16 2.1.4.7 Soho House 17 2.1.4.8 Black Country Living History Museum, Dudley 17 2.1.5 Other Issues for Historic Buildings and Sites 17 2.1.5.1 Development Priorities within the Museums Service 17 2.1.5.2 Data Collection on the Historic Environment / Local 18 Listing 2.1.5.3 Community Venues / Borough-wide Venues 18 2.1.5.4 Access for People with Disabilities 19 2.2 Conclusions of The Select Committee 20 2.3 Recommendations of The Select Committee 21 3. Collections and Archaeology 22 3.1 Summary of Arguments put before The Select 22 Committee 3.1.1 Collections 22 3.1.2 Archives 23 3.1.3 Archaeology 24 3.2 Conclusions of The Select Committee 26 3.3 Recommendations of The Select Committee 27 4. Programming 28 4.1 Summary of Arguments put before The Select 28 Committee 4.1.1. Activities and Events 28 4.1.2 Education 29 4.1.3 Interpretation 31 4.2 Conclusions of The Select Committee 32 Sandwell’s Heritage Page No 4.3 Recommendations of the Select Committee 32 5. Marketing 33 5.1 Summary of Arguments put before The Select 33 Committee 5.1.1 Visitors 33 5.1.2 Promotions 34 5.1.3 Press and Media 34 5.1.4 Electronic Access To Sandwell’s Heritage 35 5.1.5 Other Promotional Materials 35 5.1.6 Tourism 36 5.2 Conclusions of the Select Committee 37 5.3 Recommendations of the Select Committee 37 6. Partnerships 38 6.1 Summary of Arguments put before The Select 38 Committee 6.1.1 Friends Groups 38 6.1.2 Heritage and Civic Societies 39 6.1.3 Community and Voluntary Sector 39 6.1.4 Sub-Regional and Regional Agencies 40 6.1.5 Black Country Study 40 6.2 Conclusions of the Select Committee 40 6.3 Recommendations of the Select Committee 41 7. Implementation Plan 42 Sandwell’s Heritage Page No Appendix 1 Priorities for Council Owned Buildings, 43 Structures and Parks protected by Statutory Designation Appendix 2 Council owned Buildings, Structures and 45 Parks protected by Statutory Designation identified for review by the Select Committee on Heritage and Culture Appendix 3 Presentations from Council Officers 62 Appendix 4 Presentations from outside organisations 65 Appendix 5 Programme of Visits 67 Appendix 6 Membership Of Select Committee On 68 Heritage and Culture: Phase 1 2004/05 - Heritage Appendix 7 Contextual work/ underlying documents 69 Appendix 8 List of organisations which responded to 70 consultation Sandwell’s Heritage 1. Introduction 1.1 Sandwell’s Heritage – An Overview ‘Sandwell’s historic environment is unique, irreplaceable and vulnerable and has great cultural, educational and recreational value to present and future residents of the borough and its visitors.’1 Sandwell’s heritage includes buildings, monuments, landscapes and collections. Place names point to its rich heritage as do documents of people’s memories and personal stories. Finds from the area go back as long ago as 8000, to the Mesolithic period. They show evidence of continuous settlement since then: finds have been excavated from Roman times and 5 Saxon settlements are mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. These days, the built environment is proof of the area’s importance to the Industrial Revolution, whilst contemporary faith buildings mark the contribution that incoming communities have made to its economic and cultural life. Sandwell’s location, at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, makes it well placed to develop its heritage assets for the benefit of local communities and for visitors alike. Many strategic plans have identified the potential - the West Midlands Visitor Economy Strategy, the Black Country Visitor Economy Strategy and British Waterways’ Vision all recognise the importance of the Black Country’s heritage, and of Sandwell’s place within this. The Black Country Consortium’s 30 year vision also forsees an urban renaissance which builds on the historical, cultural, environmental legacy of the area. The time is right to work with others to maximise the contribution of the borough’s heritage to economic growth, environmental change and quality of life. Within this, it is critical to recognise and celebrate the heritage of all communities in Sandwell. The Select Committee’s focus on Heritage, as Phase 1 of its two-phase programme, has enabled an overview of the borough’s heritage assets to be produced and identified ways of taking them forward through: 1 Quote from SMBC’s draft Heritage Strategy, April 1999, p2 Page 1 Sandwell’s Heritage • A planned approach to conservation and management; • Cohesive programming across the sector; • Joined up marketing between heritage assets so that their full potential can be realised. 1.2 Purpose Of Select Committee – Phase 1 The purpose of the Select Committee, as agreed at its first meeting, was to examine heritage and cultural provision in the borough and to identify actions needed to improve the Audit Commission’s scoring of the Council through the Regular Performance Assessment (RPA), from 2 to 3. As the Committee began to hear evidence from heritage and cultural providers, however, the scope of the issues to be covered became clearer. With the agreement of the Leader of the Council, the Committee decided to undertake the work in two phases: Phase 1 (July 2004 - July 2005) - Heritage; Phase 2 (July 2005 - July 2006) – Culture. The Select Committee’s findings from Phase 1, Heritage, cover the following: historic buildings, structures and parks; canal infrastructure; visitor centres; museums; collections; archives; architecture; building conservation; conservation areas; archaeology. Phase 2 – The Culture Block - will include Arts; PE and Sport; Parks and Open Spaces; Landscapes; Wildlife Sites; Shows and Events; Libraries; Tourism. 1.3 Context Sandwell Council’s Cultural Services, including its heritage services, were appraised by the Audit Commission in November 2003 through the RPA. The Commission’s report (March 2004) gave them an overall score of 2 (out of 4). Capacity to improve, however, scored a 3. Cultural Services have now been identified as a service block for assessment in the Corporate Performance Assessment (CPA) of local authorities, the next CPA being due in spring 2006. In response to the Audit Commission’s findings, the Select Committee has focused on ensuring that priorities for the Council’s heritage assets are identified, to support strategic planning for improvement and development. This approach is Page 2 Sandwell’s Heritage in line with the key regional agencies for heritage, which have expressed their wish for a more coherent partnership with the Council, based on developing shared priorities. The Select Committee has also ensured that heritage planning reflects Council priorities, including those improvement priorities which are most directly relevant to heritage issues: Education: The key to a brighter future Safe, clean, stronger communities for all citizens of Sandwell 1.4 Proceedings Of The Select Committee The Select Committee drew up a work programme to cover in detail the issues which fell into Phase 1. It obtained information through: • Presentations – from Council Officers and other representatives from heritage sites within the borough and elsewhere in the West Midlands; • Presentations and comments from Regional Cultural Agencies and from Friends Groups of Sandwell heritage sites; • Submission of papers by Council Officers, in response to information requested by the Committee; • Visits to selected sites. The Select Committee’s draft report was circulated for consultation to regional agencies, friends and user groups, local historic and civic groups, elected members, officers, and others. Consultation findings were presented back to the Select Committee, and the final report was agreed by Cabinet in July 2005. 1.5 Select Committee’s Achievements to Date The Select Committee is pleased to report on a number of achievements which have already come about as a result of its work: • Streamlining of appropriate Cultural and Heritage Services under one Division; • Securing of funds for appointment of a tourism officer; Page 3 Sandwell’s Heritage • Securing of funds for Year 1 of the Museums Investment Strategy; • Invitation to Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure to sit on the Black Country Living Museum board, thus strengthening Sandwell’s links with regional museums.