General Purposes Sub-Committee: May 13th 1929
On Minutes Nos 1154/1274/1384 (premises Central Head Office) the General Manager referred to enquiries that had been made regarding a site at corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row. Negotiations were at present taking place between the Public Works Department and the Birmingham Canal Navigations as to building over the canal, with a view to placing the existing premises on sale. After consideration it was:
1394 RESOLVED:- That, subject to it being ascertained that vacant possession of the premises above referred to can be obtained, the General Manager be empowered to obtain a valuation of such property by the District Valuer.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: June 10th 1929
1410 On Minutes Nos 1154 and 1384 (premises for Central Head Office), the General Manager reported as to the enquiries and negotiations which had taken place with the object of securing suitable premises, short particulars of which are as follows:
(1) Property in Congreve Street.
The owner of this property (Mr Bosley) was approached, but was unwilling to sell at the present time.
(2) Premises in Easy Row adjoining the existing Head
Office.
The Sub-Committee were informed that the University were unwilling to sell part only of the block of property owned by them, and it was, therefore, not possible to acquire the portion of their property adjoining the Head Office unless the Corporation at some time acquired the whole block. No action could, therefore, be taken in the matter at the present time.
(3) Blue Coat School Property.
The Sub-Committee were reminded that the question of the allocation of the Blue Coat School property was still with the General Purposes Committee, who had as yet put forward no definite proposals with regard to allocating a portion of the premises to the Bank. The Sub-Committee, however, felt that the interest and sinking fund charges would prove to be somewhat excessive in relation to the requirements of the Bank.
(4) Property at Corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Lane.
This property which is leasehold with 58 years unexpired, and subject to a ground rent of £500 per annum, has been placed on sale at £40,000 with vacant possession. Mr Wilde was directed to value the property on behalf of a Bank, and his valuation with vacant possession amounted to £25,000. The Sub-Committee were of opinion that the premises in question could be suitably adapted for Bank requirements in the event of suitable terms being arranged, and it was accordingly:
1411 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to direct Mr Frank Wilde to continue negotiations with a view to ascertaining whether a price can be agreed upon for the purchase of the property at corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row, the matter to be again considered by this Sub-Committee upon the negotiations reaching a suitable stage.
Bank Committee: June 17th 1929
The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:
Premises for Central Head Office.
Arising out of the enquiries which have been made regarding suitable premises for the Central Head Office of the Municipal Bank, your Sub-Committee have considered, among other premises, property situate at a corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row, which they are of opinion would be suitable for the purpose.
The property which is leasehold with 58 years unexpired and subject to a ground rent of £500 per annum, has been placed on sale at £40,000 with vacant possession. Your Sub-Committee have had the property valued by Mr Frank Wilde who places the valuation at £25,000.
Your Sub-Committee, after full consideration, have given directions to Mr Frank Wilde to continue negotiations with a view to ascertaining whether a price can be agreed upon for the purchase of the property, and upon the negotiations reaching a suitable stage they will again consider the matter and report.
3466 With reference to the paragraph in the foregoing report relating to premises for a Central Head Office, the Chairman read a communication which the General Manager had received from Messrs Shaw & Gilbert, intimating that their Clients were unwilling to reduce the price required for the premises at the corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row, viz: £40,000.
A report was also submitted from Mr Frank Wilde summarising the negotiations which he had undertaken in regard to this property. After consideration it was:
3467 RESOLVED:- That the action of the General Purposes Sub-Committee is authorising Mr Frank Wilde to continue negotiations with regard to the property at the corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row be confirmed; but that in view of the efforts of Mr Wilde to agree a figure for the purchase of the property being unsuccessful, Messrs Shaw & Gilbert be informed that the Bank Committee cannot see their way to accept the offer of their Clients, and that no further action be taken in the matter.
The Committee proceeded to consider what further steps should be taken with a view to securing the required accommodation for the new central Head Office premises, and reviewed the alternatives of:
(a) extending the existing Head Office premises,
(b) utilising part of the Blue Coat
School,
(c) the allocation of a site on, or near, the Civic Centre.
It was pointed out that the University were not at present disposed to sell the freehold of properties adjoining the present central Bank premises, and as there did not appear to be any possibility of extending such premises, after discussion it was:
3467a RESOLVED:- That the General Purposes Committee be informed that the necessity of securing suitable central Bank premises has now become urgent, and that this Committee are anxious to ascertain at the earliest possible date:
(a) whether it is proposed to allocate to the Bank any portion of the Blue Coat School, and, if so, the
amount of interest and sinking fund charges which the Bank would be expected to bear in connection therewith; and (alternatively)
-
(b) whether the General Purposes Committee should be prepared to consider the immediate allocation of a site on, or near, the Civic Centre to enable the building of central Bank premises.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: July 8th 1929
On Minutes Nod 1154, 1384 and 1411 (premises for Central Head Office), the Sub-Committee were informed that a conference of the Chairmen of the General Purposes, Bank, Education and Estates Committees had been held on the 25th June, 1929, to consider the question of the allocation of the Blue Coat School and the future requirements of the Bank, Education and Estates Department. The following memorandum of the proceedings had been received:
NOTES OF A CONFERENCE HELD IN THE CITY SURVEYOR'S ROOM AT THE COUNCIL HOUSE, 25th, JUNE, 1929
PRESENT:
Alderman
Sir David Brooks Representing the General Purposes Committee
Alderman
Sir Percival Bower Representing the Bank Committee
Councillor Hume Representing the Education Committee
Councillor Dalton Representing the Estates Committee
The Committee Representatives proceeded to discuss the future of the Blue Coat School property, and the Chairman of the Estates Committee emphasised the urgent need for additional accommodation for the Estates Department, and pointed out that the new accommodation should include provision for women and children with perambulators. He further said they had approaching 400 callers a day, and so far as the Blue Coat School property was concerned it was essential that the Estates Department should be approached from Colmore Row and not from St Phillip's Churchyard.
The City Surveyor submitted plans showing methods of allocation, and following upon this Alderman Sir Percival Bower said the ideal thing for the Bank would have been to extend their present head office, and in this connection he produced a sketch plan showing the neighbouring holdings, and the manner in which the present premises could be extended. He also stated it was essential that in any premises taken the Bank must continue to have room for extension.
Alderman Sir David Brooks said that if it had been possible to extend in their present premises, he agreed it would be ideal, and he thought the best step at present would be for the University to be approached to ascertain whether the Corporation could acquire sufficient area to enable the erection of substantial extensions there.
In the discussions following this Councillor Hume stated that the Education Committee would not regard the University as a desirable building for their purposes, and after a further discussion it was agreed that the City Surveyor in conference with the Chairman of the Bank Committee should make preliminary enquiries as to the possibility of acquiring some of the University site early on, and the whole at a later stage, and when he was in a position to report something concrete upon this, further proposals in the matter would be laid before the General Purposes Committee.
The Conference agreed that if other accommodation could be found the Blue Coat School premises were not altogether suitable for the Estates Committee purposes having regard to the surrounding professional quarters, and it was arranged that the Chairman of the Estates Committee and the Manager of the Estates Department should ascertain if suitable accommodation for the Estates Department could be secured in the new building of the Halford Cycle Company, Corporation Street, and that the City Surveyor would confer with them in connection with these enquiries.
1423 The Sub-Committee were of opinion that it would be most desirable to acquire some of the properties surrounding the Head Office in Edmund Street for extension purposes, and the Chairman of the General Committee was requested to go into the matter with the City Surveyor, and endeavour to arrange accordingly with the University Authorities. The Minutes were continued.
The General Manager states that attention had been called by Messrs Shaw & Gilbert to property known as the City Hotel in John Bright Street which it was understood was available for disposal. As the property in question was not suitable for Bank purposes, it was decided that no action should be taken in the matter.
Finance Sub-Committee: October 14th 1929
361 The General Manager submitted reports from the National Boiler and General Insurance Co Ltd, relative to the boilers at Head Office, which showed that the boilers were in a satisfactory condition.
Bank Committee: October 21st 1929
On Minute No 3467(a) it was pointed out that a report on the question of a site for Central Head Offices was contained in the report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee.
3513 RESOLVED:- That Minute No 3467(a) be discharged.
3519 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:
Extension of Head Office.
As authorised by Minute No 3496 of your Committee, the Chairman (Alderman Sir Percival Bower) together with the City Surveyor and General Manager has conferred with Sir Gilbert Barling, representing the University, on the question of the purchase of property adjoining the present Bank premises now in the occupation of Messrs Walker and Worsey Ltd, Messrs J Shore and Sons and Messrs Cotterell and Sons. Two independent valuations were obtained by the City Surveyor, one being £14,ooo and the other £14,600, and an offer was made to the University to purchase the buildings for £14,000. This offer was declined as being much below the value which the Agent to the University Authorities considered the property and site to be worth, and despite every effort made to ascertain a price which the University would be prepared to accept for the property, the University Authorities would not name a figure, nor would they agree to submit the matter to friendly arbitration. The opinion was gathered, however, that the University Authorities would prefer to negotiate with the Corporation for the sale of the whole of the site fronting Edmund Street, Easy Row, Great Charles Street and Congreve Street.
As no further advance has been made in the negotiations, your Sub-Committee recommend that, unless satisfactory arrangements can be made with the University Authorities forthwith, negotiations be reopened in respect of the premises at the corner of Great Charles Street and Summer Row, or negotiations commenced in respect of any other suitable central site, and that x Chairman of your Committee and the General Manager be authorised to proceed accordingly.
3520 With reference to the paragraph in the foregoing report as to premises for the Bank Head Office the Chairman reported that since the meeting of the Sub-Committee he, together with the General Manager, had interviewed Alderman Sir David Brooks and the City Surveyor, when consideration had been given to various projects for providing suitable accommodation for the Head Office of the Bank. It was pointed out at this conference that in view of the requirements of the Corporation for road widening at the corner of Easy Row and Edmund Street it was unlikely that there would be sufficient space available to enlarge the Bank premises in the manner required, even if satisfactory arrangements could be made for the purchase of the adjoining properties from the University. It also appeared that the Blue Coat School property would require considerable alteration to enable its utilisation for Bank requirements. It was, therefore, thought preferable to secure a site on which permanent and adequate premises could be erected.
In this connection Alderman Sir David Brooks and the City Surveyor pointed out that property in Broad Street adjoining the Masonic Temple, at present in the occupation of Messrs Lee, Longland & Co had been acquired by the Corporation, and that possession could be secured on reasonable notice. It was considered that such a site would be suitable for the Bank, and that it had the additional advantage of forming part of the Civic Centre Scheme when developed. It was accordingly suggested that if the proposal commended itself to the Bank Committee for the transfer of a sufficient portion of the property in question, at a price mutually satisfactory, to enable the Bank to erect new Head Offices to harmonise with the general layout of the Civic Centre Scheme.
After consideration the Committee authorised that negotiations should proceed for securing the site referred to in Broad Street, and that the matter be left in the hands of the Chairman and General Manager with that object in view, and to furnish a further report thereon in due course.
Bank Committee: December 16th 1929
On Minute No 3520 (premises for Central Head Office) the City Surveyor attended the Committee and submitted plans and elevations which he had prepared on the authority of the Chairman, for a projected Central Head Office on the site in Broad Street, which it was contemplated should be allocated to the Bank. He also submitted the following report on the matter:
NEW CENTRAL BANK.
LEE LONGLAND'S SITE, BROAD STREET.
I beg to report that I have given some consideration to the question of the suitability, for the purpose of a Municipal Head Bank, of the above site, and sketch plans have been prepared, which are herewith submitted and which provide the accommodation included in your General Manager's schedule of requirements.
The site proposed to be occupied by the Bank buildings has a frontage to Broad Street of 120 feet, with an average depth of about 120 feet.
The facade to Broad Street is taken up entirely by a Banking Hall, which is 80 feet long, and the two entrances, one at either end. This proposal, as will be seen, not only makes a satisfactory arrangement of the banking premises but also assists in obtaining a building of a well balanced and dignified appearance, and a preliminary sketch plan of an elevation to Broad Street is shown.
The principal entrance is that at the western end and it opens into a spacious hall 18 feet in width. This gives access to a main staircase and lift and, on the ground floor, to the Banking Hall, House Purchase Department, &c. On the ground floor, also, are three interview rooms in connection with the Banking Hall and lavatories for each sex.
Careful consideration has been given to the question of the safe deposit and access to and egress therefrom. The scheme adopted is for a person wishing to gain access to the safe deposit to present his receipt at the Enquiry Office, entered from the main hall, for the attendant in this Enquiry Office to notify an attendant in the basement that such a person is presenting himself for entry, and for the attendant in the basement to accompany the depositor to his safe. The system to be adopted, however, is of course one for your Committee to consider and determine.
In addition to the safe deposit, ample provision is made in the basement floor for ledgers and cash books, cash strong rooms, muniment rooms and other securities.
On the first floor accommodation is provided for the General Manager and his secretarial staff, assistant General Manager and for a Committee room, and, at the other end of the building, for a stationery room and stores. The latter will have a separate entrance from the rear and will be provided with a goods lift.
On the second floor, accommodation is provided for the Accountant, Controller, Inspectors, Publicity and Auditors, and there are several spare rooms for future extension.
On the third floor is a staff room, mess room, and a recreation room 62-ft by 42-ft, with the necessary kitchen accommodation, &c and on this floor also is provided a caretaker's flat.
It should mentioned that, as now planned, a gateway entrance will require to be arranged from the proposed Paradise Street extension to the rear of the building, to give entrance to a garage which is provided for three cars, and also for coaling purposes &C.
Your Committee recognises that any building on this area must necessarily be of a certain character and, of course, more costly in comparison than if erected in almost any other part of the City. There has been no time o consider in any detail the question of the cost but as far as I am able to judge at the present time, such a building as that suggested would, I think, require an expenditure of a sum approaching £75,000.
I shall be glad to have your views as to whether, after seeing what the site would accommodate, you consider it suitable for the purpose and, if so, if you desire me to present a report upon the matter of the site to the Staff and Accommodation Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
(Sgd.) HERBERT H. HUMPHRIES.
The City Surveyor stated it was his intention to submit the plan to the Staff and Accommodation Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee, subject to the Bank Committee approving of the proposed site, and the main outlines of the scheme as submitted, which he estimated would involve expenditure of about £75,000.
After the Committee had considered the plan and discussed the scheme, it was:
3624 RESOLVED:- That this Committee approve the site and the main outlines of the scheme for a Central Head Office as shown by the plans submitted by the City Surveyor, who they hereby authorise to submit his report and plans to the Staff and Accommodation Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee, with a view to obtaining their agreement to the transfer of the site to the Bank on terms to be agreed.