Couleurlive Stained Glass

20/05/2026

Lower exposure limits could force out experienced workers, resulting in the industry being ‘killed by health and safety’

20/05/2026

more information presented by our colleague Derek Hunt Artist

The aim of the changes is to reduce work-related ill health

20/05/2026

I today sent a Letter and an information document to Julia Buckley MP on behalf of Couleurlive Ltd concerning the proposed changes to Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 (CLAW) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which aims to significantly reduce the permitted levels of lead (Pb) in workers’ blood.
Stained-glass colleagues and I are most grateful to all who would take time to understand our stained-glass trade and our great concern for Heritage or Creation if the proposed changes were applied to our studios.
If you wish for more information, send a letter to the Shropshire MP or your MP, message me.
You may also fill out the HSE consultation document in relation to these proposals - https://consultations.hse.gov.uk/hse/control-lead-at-work-regs-2002-exposure-guidance/.

The consultation closes on 24 May 2026.

13/05/2026

let’s share a few shots of May now and then celebrating one of the wild life most referred to for cultural significance beyond frontiers,
the Hare

11/05/2026

The stained glass community has until 24 May to respond to a consultation on safe working levels of lead. See the survey link in our bio.

We need your help to safeguard the future of stained glass and we are asking you to fill in the online questionnaire from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We need as many responses as possible so that HSE treat us fairly and are aware of any unintended consequences of the proposals.

The HSE has launched a consultation to review the current laws around working safely with lead. We welcome the review as health and safety is important to us all. However, the current proposals would reduce permitted blood lead levels by up to 80% within less than four years. We believe that in many cases this will be unachievable, even with best-practice health and safety measures in place.

At a time when traditional stained glass window making for historic buildings is on the Red List of Endangered Crafts due to lack of education and commission opportunities, and rising costs of materials, the proposals could be catastrophic. Studios could be forced to close because they won’t have skilled workers. This means that windows in our historic buildings will not receive the attention they require.

We have been advised that having a large number of responses to the HSE consultation questionnaire from a wide range of people will help our case. You can fill it in as a ‘member of the public’ even if you don’t work with lead. Please encourage others who care about stained glass to respond.

The new measures will apply to everyone who works with lead, not just stained glass artists and conservators. Please add your voice so that our future is sustainable.

09/05/2026

06/05/2026

IMPORTANT NEWS! ( not all of a good kind!)

A number of people have suggested to us that we should try to get the National Glass Centre to be a listed building. We have been quiet about this, but behind the scenes, this has been going on. We initially applied to have the building listed two years ago, but this was not progressed, as the building was not 30 years old ( the general minimum age before a building can be listed), or in danger of demolition.

Clearly, things have changed. The C20th Society have been helping us prepare a thorough bid for listing and, with the help of the architect, Andy Gollifer, and project director, Roger Clubley, we have uncovered evidence that, although the building was not opened until 1998, it actually became 30 in February of this year, when the site was levelled. The age starts with the breaking of the ground, not the finished building. We were also able to prove that the building is indeed in grave, and imminent, danger of demolition. This was all sent to Historic England for their assessment.

When a building is progressing through the listing process, the owners of the building are notified. As a result, the University have put in an application to Historic England for a Certificate of Immunity, which, if successful, prevents a building from being listed for a five year period.

This means that we are now in a direct fight with the University for the protection of the building, and the glassmaking therein. Historic England considers both applications together. They will come back to us after their factual investigation, at which point, we have an opportunity to speak to their findings. I don't know the timescale for this, but I will let you know, as we will be relying on supporters to help us file a response. This is why we have been asking people to put in an objection to the council re the screening opinion, where the University have hired a planning company to plan demolition, to show the depth of feeling of the people of Sunderland and elsewhere.

If you would like to put in an objection, you can do that here: https://online-applications.sunderland.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=TDU6R9BB0D600&activeTab=summary

You must ask why the University is in such indecent haste to demolish this building, rather than trying to preserve it, or sell it to another organisation. This is a concerning development, but has only strengthened our campaign to take on this fight. We hope we will have your support moving forwards.

30/04/2026

OK... tomorrow you can catch us at 10am at 1719 Church, and the Donnison School.

We then move on to the Stadium of Light, Keel Crossing and Sheepfolds, between 11 and 12 noon.

In the afternoon, around 2pm, we will be around Roker Beach and the Pier.

Later in the day, we will move to Washington, where we will cover F Pit, Bowes Railway and Washington Village Green area ... timings to be confirmed, but likely to be around 5 - 6pm. I will update you on this.

If you are anywhere near us, or want to be, please come and say hello, to show your support! We really appreciate it x