PLANS to restore the crumbling Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley are moving forwards.

The Grade II listed cone, in Camp Hill, has been partly closed to visitors for three years due to safety concerns.

Work needs to be carried out to the internal and external structure of the scheduled monument, including the removal of weeds, to preserve the historic building for future generations.

It’s been more than a year since Dudley Council, which manages the museum, confirmed its commitment to restore the historic landmark, which dates back to 1794, pledging £1.5million to the cause.

But the council has now gone out to tender for the works which it is hoped can be got underway this summer.

Councillor Adam Davies said on his Facebook page: “Historic England have now inspected the six sample mortars which were installed before the winter to test their durability and have now approved which of the samples they think is most suitable for the overall works.

“This approval has enabled the council to put the works out to tender and expressions of interest / site visit requests have been coming in.

“Once the tender closes and a contractor is appointed, the huge task of preparing the structure and carrying out the two-year works can begin over the next few months.

“As part of the works, crumbling brickwork will be replaced and repointed – allowing the removal of the weeds, as well as work to install new ventilation and a series of other improvements to secure the cone's future and improve the visitor experience for people when visiting this special icon of our area's heritage.”

Council bosses said they were pleased to be able to confirm the good news that the restoration effort can now move forward.

Stuart Connelly, head of culture, leisure and bereavement services at Dudley Council, said: “The Red House Glass Cone is a unique site that is highly valued to the borough and forms a distinctive part of the borough’s skyline.

“We are pleased to confirm that the tender for building works to restore the cone has begun, with a closing date for applications on 10 May 2023, and we hope to have a preferred contractor on site this summer.

“In the meantime, we are carrying out some special hard hat tours of the cone and these will be advertised on our webpages soon.”