Call to turn Dudley's historic Himley Hall into Glastonbury-style festival site
A Lib Dem leader believes a Glastonbury type event would work at the historic estate.
Dudley should get its own Glastonbury style music festival at Himley Hall according to one of the borough’s political leaders.
Speaking at October’s meeting of Dudley Council’s Communities and Growth Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Ryan Priest urged the authority to make more of the historic country park.
The council’s Liberal Democrat group leader made his comments during a debate on a report about the borough’s progress and delivery of culture and communities.
Cllr Priest said: “Himley is fantastic but massively under utilised, I think we need to be much bolder in what we are doing there.
“What we are doing there is really good but I think it is such a huge site I think we should try having a proper overnight festival there.
“We get music there but it’s always low ticket entry when actually I think it’s in an ideal space for people to drive to and have a proper music festival there.”
The idea found support from Anne Boyd, Dudley director of growth and place, who told the meeting a review was under way to find ways to make the best use of cultural assets like Himley Hall.
Ms Boyd said: “It’s already playing its role in film, in events , in music, all kinds of special occasions but there is more we can do, instead of just hosting but partnering up with some of those that want to come in and deliver music events.”
The committee was told the borough already attracts 9.6 million tourist trips each year which generates around £447m in visitor spending and directly supports 4,500 tourism jobs.
One of the major attractions to the Black Country is its status as a UNESCO Global Geopark which highlights the region’s natural and cultural heritage.
Ms Boyd said; “This is a fabulous asset within the wider Black Country, upon our geological heritage was built our actual heritage so that created the foundation for our economy and our communities to flourish.”
The director added Black Country councils are planning to team up to carry out an economic impact assessment to understand what is being missed before creating a plan on how to make the most of the geosites.
Cllr Priest suggested more basic tactics and highlighted flytipping at the entrance to Saltwells Nature Reserve which had been left for three weeks.
He said: “If we want people to use what is the jewel of the Black Country Geopark we should probably have it so that they don’t have to jump over a mattress to get in.”