Bank Committee: October 19th 1925
On Minutes Nos 2056/2110 (Alterations at 684 Washwood Heath Road) and 2133 (Cleaning of Windows etc at Head Office) the Town Clerk reported as follows with reference to the completion of Contracts in these cases:
October 16th 1925.
I have to report that the following Contracts are now duly completed:
|
Minute No. |
Contractors. |
Particulars. |
|
2110
& 2056 |
Maddocks & Walford |
Carrying out Alterations to No 684 Washwood Heath Road |
|
2133 |
City & District Window Cleaning Company
Ltd |
Cleaning of Windows at the Head Office |
I ask that the Minutes be discharged.
2145 RESOLVED:- That Minutes Nos 2056/2110 and 2133 be discharged.
2152 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:
Former Head Office Premises - Contribution by Water Department
Your Sub-Committee report that the sum of £1,000 has now been received from the Water Department in respect of the improvements effected by the Bank during its occupancy of premises at the Council House.
2157 The following report of the Finance Sub-Committee was presented:
Insurance of Boilers, etc, at Head Office.
The insurance
of the two boilers has been effected in the sum of £500 each, involving a premium of £4. 15. 6. per annum, less 15%.
General Manager's Annual Report: January 11th 1926
NEW HEAD OFFICE.
The opening of the new Head Office on the 6th July 1925 marked a red letter day in the history of the Bank, inasmuch as the Bank became possessed for the first time of Head Office premises under its own control. The relief afforded on the administration side by the first floor accommodation is welcome, but the lack of space on the ground floor is apparent and evokes complaints from depositors and others.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: May 10th 1926
The Sub-Committee considered the question of the accommodation at the Head Office. The present premises in Edmund Street were already utilised to their full capacity, and the Sub-Committee discussed the question as to the course to be taken to meet the future requirements of the Bank.
944 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to confer with the City Surveyor with the view to securing a fresh site, or for enlarging existing premises.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: May 31st 1926
956 On Minute No 944 (Head Office accommodation) - the General Manager stated that he had been informed that the land at the corner of New Street and Worcester Street had already been scheduled for a licensed house. Enquiries were, however, being continued in the matter and the minute was continued.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: October 11th 1926
994 On Minutes Nos 944 and 956 (Head Office accommodation), the General Manager reported that the City Surveyor had undertaken to make enquiries with reference to the adjoining premises.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: December 13th 1926
1014 On Minutes Nos 944 and 956 (Head Office Accommodation) the General Manager reported that he had gone into the question of accommodation very thoroughly with the Chairman of the General Committee and the City Surveyor. It appeared that the latter had not been able to make any progress in the way of obtaining adjoining premises, and could see no way of increasing the present accommodation. The matter had now become serious, both in regard to the accommodation for the public and to the space required for book-keeping on the ground floor, while the problem was reaching a climax in regard to the House Purchase and Accounts Departments. The City Surveyor had been asked to give urgent attention to the matter, with a view to finding other accommodation of a suitable and lasting character.
Finance Sub-Committee: December 13th 1926:
The General Manager raised the question as to the desirability of the Head Office utilising Lloyds Bank, Colmore Row, for banking and obtaining moneys. At the present time the Midland Bank, New Street, was used for this purpose, and it was pointed out that considerable expense and time was involved, which might be reduced by the suggested rearrangement.
19 RESOLVED:- That the matter be referred to the City Treasurer and the General Manager for consideration and report.
Finance Sub-Committee: January 10th 1927
On Minute No 19 (banking arrangements, Head Office) the City Treasurer pointed out that it would be undesirable to disturb the existing arrangements with the Midland Bank, both on the ground of policy, and the advantageous terms which were in operation.
25 RESOLVED:- That no change be made in the banking arrangements now in force in regard to the Head Office of the Bank.
Bank Committee: March 21st 1927
3627 The following report of the General
Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:
Head Office Accommodation.
This question is giving your Sub-Committee much concern and with a view to easing the congestion temporarily the City Surveyor has been asked to endeavour to arrange for the use of the void premises in Easy Row, formerly used as an office for coal permits, so that a portion of the staff can be transferred thereto without interfering with the normal business of the Bank.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: April 11th 1927
1093 On Minutes Nos 944/1031 (Head Office accommodation) the Sub-Committee were informed that the Chairman of the General Committee was in communication with Sir David Brooke with regard to the temporary use of a portion of the building known as Broad Street Chambers for the requirements of the Bank. The Minutes were continued.
Finance Sub-Committee: April 11th 1927
68 The General Manager submitted a report of the National Boiler and General Insurance Co Ltd, certifying that the boilers at Head Office were in good order.
Bank Committee: April 25th 1927
2675 The Chairman made reference to certain matters on which he, together with the General Manager, had that morning conversed with the City Surveyor:
Premises in Easy Row.
The Chairman referred to the negotiations which he had conducted in regard to obtaining further accommodation for the Head Office, and it was understood that subject to the confirmation of the Staff and Accommodation Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee there would be no objection to the Bank having the temporary use of certain accommodation at the Broad Street Chambers, Easy Row.
Arrangements had been made for the Chairman and Alderman Sir David Brooks, with the General Manager and the City Surveyor to visit the offices in question, and a further report on the subject would be presented after such visit had taken place.
Blue Coat School Premises.
The Chairman made reference to the fact that a proposal would shortly be submitted to the City Council for the acquisition of the Blue Coat School, Colmore Row, and the Chairman stated that he was very much impressed with the possibilities of the site from the point of view of the future Head Office of the Municipal Bank, and in the event of the purchase of the property by the City Council, the matter should receive very careful consideration in connection with the fixing of a site for the permanent Head Office.
2676 RESOLVED:- That the report of the Chairman be approved and the actions therein mentioned confirmed; the matters in question being referred to the General Purposes Sub-Committee for consideration and report.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: May 9th 1927
On Minutes Nos 944/1031 (Head Office Accommodation) the General Manager presented the following report:
Head Office Accommodation.
The question of securing the vacant ground floor premises in Easy Row, which were used for some time as a Coal Permit Office, has been further looked into by the Chairman of the Full Committee and myself, and we have inspected the premises in company with Alderman Sir David Brookes and the City Treasurer. The ground floor premises have a considerable depth and would be very useful in relieving the congestion from which we are suffering so much at Head Office.
Having regard to the layout of the premises and the fact that we could erect a long counter which would enable the Savings Bank business to be conducted with greater celerity and with much more room for the depositors, it is felt that efforts should be made to secure these premises for the use of the Bank. Arrangements could also be made for the stores of Stationery to be kept in such premises and for the Stationery Clerks to also work there. The present Head Office premises would then be free for House Purchase, Accountancy and General Administrative Staff.
This arrangement could only be regarded as a temporary measure to relieve the congestion until such time as the Bank can be properly housed ín a suitable building, which matter is likely to receive the attention of the General Purposes Committee of the Council. Sir David Brookes said that we should not be well advised to regard the tenancy of the Easy Row premises for a longer period than five years, although he could not make a definite statement because it all depended upon the development of the Old Wharf site. The City Surveyor, on the other hand, was afraid that it would be a longer period before the Corporation would be able to deal with this site, but when they were in such a position the Easy Row premises would be taken into the street.
Sir David Brookes has promised to bring the matter before the Staffing and Accommodation Sub-Committee without delay and let us know what can be done.
In the event of the reply being favourable, the Committee are asked to sanction the Savings Bank business of Head Office being conducted in the premises at Easy Row, and also the Stationery Stores being kept there.
1113 RESOLVED:- That the General Committee be recommended to agree arrangements being made for the premises in Easy Row to be temporarily utilised for Bank purposes in the manner suggested in the foregoing report, subject to the General Purposes Committee consenting to the Bank having temporary use of the premises, and that the City Treasurer be asked his views with regard to the amount the Bank should pay in respect of Sinking Fund and Loan Charges thereon.
Bank Committee: May 16th 1927
2690 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was received:
Head Office Accommodation.
An inspection of the vacant shop premises in Easy Row has been made by the Chairman and the General Manager in company with Alderman Sir David Brooks and the City Surveyor, and as a result Alderman Sir David Brooks and the City Surveyor¸ and as before the Staff and Accommodation Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee with a view to the Bank having the temporary use of the premises until definite accommodation of a suitable character can be allocated to the Bank.
In the event of the premises being temporarily secured it is proposed to transfer the Savings Bank Department and the Stationery Department of the Bank thereto, thus easing the present congestion at the Edmund Street premises.
Your Sub-Committee accordingly recommend that in the event of the General Purposes Committee agreeing to the proposal, arrangements be made for the premises in Easy Row to be temporarily used for the purpose indicated, and that the City Treasurer be asked to assess the amount which the Bank should pay in respect of Sinking Fund and Loan Charges thereon.
2693 RESOLVED:- That, subject to the approval of the General Purposes Committee, arrangements be made as indicated in the foregoing report, for the vacant premises in Easy Row therein mentioned to be temporarily utilised for Bank requirements.
Bank Committee: June 27th 1927
2715 On Minute No 2692 (Premises, Easy Row) the following communication from the General Purposes Committee was received and the Sub-Committee were informed that the question of the amount to be paid by the Bank in respect of the use thereof had been referred to the City Treasurer and the General Manager of the Estates Department for consideration.
REPORT OF THE STAFF & ACCOMMODATION SUB-COMMITTEE TO THE GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.
May 16th 1927
Broad Street Chambers.
Your Sub-Committee have had before them several applications for the allocation of the empty shop premises in Broad Street Chambers to one of the departments of the Corporation. Having given due consideration to these applications they came to the conclusion that, in view of the constant development in the work of the Municipal Bank and the present cramped accommodation at the head office in Edmund Street, it will be well to allocate these premises to the Bank Committee in order that some re-arrangement can be made that would ease the position at the head office. They therefore recommend that these premises be allocated to the Bank Committee, and that the Manager of the Estates Department be instructed to arrange a rent for the premises in conference with the City Treasurer.
2,620 Resolved That the report of the Staff & Accommodation Sub-Committee be approved, and the recommendations contained therein adopted.
The Minute was continued.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: July 11th 1927
The Chairman of the General Committee reported that he had taken steps with a view to arranging for accommodation suitable for Bank requirements to be provided at Broad Street Chambers, and the Staff and Accommodation Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee had agreed that the space formerly used as a Coal Permit Office should be placed at the disposal of the Bank on terms to be fixed by the City Treasurer and the General Manager of the Estates Department. The Chairman stated that the question had been considered of utilising the premises in question as the headquarters of the Bank, but having regard to the fact that only a temporary use could be obtained of the premises, it was felt that the Savings Bank business should continue to be conducted at the Edmund Street premises and that the new accommodation should be used for such other purposes as the General Manager considers desirable.
Alderman Sir Percival Bower pointed out the necessity of obtaining premises in the near future for a new central Head Office for the Bank, having regard to the fact that the arrangements for the use of the accommodation of Broad Street Chambers was only temporary and suggested that the General Manager and Mr Frank Wilde should make enquiries with this object in view.
1153 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to make the necessary arrangements for taking over the required accommodation at Broad Street Chambers, Easy Row, and to take the necessary steps for adapting the same at as low a cost as possible.
1154 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed, in conjunction with Mr Frank Wilde (the Bank's Valuer) to make enquiries with a view to securing a suitable site or premises for the provision of a permanent central Head Office of the Bank.