General Purposes Sub-Committee: April 11th 1932
1757 On Minutes Nos 1535 and 1744 (new Central Head Office premises) the General Manager reported that he had instructed the Quantity Surveyor to submit the plans to the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade Department for his observations. Mr Tozer recommended certain portable fire appliances being furnished and advised the provision of a fireproof door between the stationery department and garage. He also suggested that there should be a secondary exit from the Stationery store. The General Manager had passed on the recommendations and suggestions to the Architect.
Finance Sub-Committee: April 11th 1932
The Sub-Committee were informed that Mr Howitt (the Architect for Central Head Office premises) had completed the first stage of the work and had applied for a cheque for £1000.
660 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to arrange for payment of the sum of £1000 to Mr Howitt.
Report to the City Council: April 12th 1932
ERECTION OF HEAD OFFICES IN BROAD STREET.
On the 6th May, 1930, the Council, by Minute No 29,640, approved of the allocation to your Committee of the site in Broad Street for the purpose of erecting thereon new Head Offices.
On the 9th June, 1931, your Committee reported that architects of British nationality and practicing in the British Isles had been invited to submit designs in connection for the building, which was estimated to cost £75,000, and that Sir Reginald Blomfield, Litt.D, RA, of New Court, Temple, London, EC, had been appointed to advise on the conduct of the competition and to act as the adjudicator of the designs submitted.
Plans were received from 112 architects, and these were exhibited for a week in the Art Gallery, and invitations being extended to all Members of the Council to inspect the same.
The award of the Assessor placed first a design of Mr T Cecil Howitt, FRIBA, of Nottingham; that of Messrs S N Cooke, FRIBA, and W N Twist, FRIBA, of Birmingham, second; and that of Messrs A B Llewellyn Roberts, ARIBA, and Michael Waterhouse, FRIBA, of London, third. Mr Howitt was therefor appointed Architect for the work.
Your Committee have had conferences from time to time with Mr Howitt, and have made suggestions for minor alterations to the original design which they considered necessary from an internal and administrative point of view, and these have been incorporated in the final plans.
The main features of the building to be erected are the provision of a banking hall of lofty proportions with easy circulation to administrative offices; a central entrance with quick access to the banking hall; a plain solid treatment of the main frontage, giving a sense of security; and a columned loggia emphasising the main approach. Provision has been made for the whole building to be framed in steel to allow an economic thickness for walls; the floors to be fire-resisting, constructed in hollow tiles to carry light domestic loads; and the strong rooms in the basement to be specially constructed to ensure adequate security. The north and west elevations and the east return are to be faced in Portland stone, the remaining elevations being treated in cream-coloured bricks; the windows will be in metal, bronze grilles being introduced on the ground floor of the north front, with a cast bronze sliding doorway to the main entrance. The entrance hall and banking hall are to be paved with biscuit-coloured marble slabs, panelled with pale grey marble margins. The walls will be treated with pale-biscuit-coloured marble slabs with an eggshell surface and a black marble skirting. The vaulted entrance hall and corridor ceilings, and the coffered ceilings to the banking hall, will be in fibrous plaster, decorated with a pale stone colour. The laylight of the hall is to be in metal with pierced ventilating panels, and the lower portion of the arched openings of the hall will be filled in with metal screens and doors glazed with stippled plate glass. The staircase approaches and corridors used by the public will be treated with terrazzo floors and French stucco walls, and with metal staircase balustrades. Provision is made for the building to be heated on the ceiling panel system with gas heated boilers. Extract fans are to be used to assist the ventilation of the banking hall and basement rooms. The building will be completely equipped with electric light, and the banking hall flood-lighted with lights reflected through the ceiling laylight. Special floor lights and night lighted signs are to be arranged externally.
Generally, the building will be architecturally in accord with the new building immediately adjoining and consistent with the ultimate development as a Civic Centre of the surrounding area.
Mr Walter B Bond, FSI, of 3, Newhall Street, Birmingham, has been appointed as Quantity Surveyor.
The site in Broad Street has been cleared in readiness for the erection of the building, and your Committee desire to take advantage of the favourable period of the year and commence the work as soon as possible. The approval of the Council is, therefore. sought to the erection of the building, and to the acceptance of a suitable tender therefor. The whole cost of the building will be defrayed from the Bank funds.
Bank Committee: April 18th 1932
The General Manager submitted the following letter which he had received from the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers asking that the Committee should receive a deputation from the Union upon the question of the erection of the new Central Head Office being carried out by a Birmingham Contractor.
4418 RESOLVED:- That the General Manager be instructed to inform the Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers that it is not considered that any useful purpose would be served by receiving a deputation from that Union at the present time, but pointing out the terms of the Council's Instruction to Committees No 34.
Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers of Great Britain
& Ireland
Divisional Office
17 Spiceal Street
Birmingham
April 13th 1932
To: The Manager, Municipal Bank
NEW MUNICIPAL BANK CONTRACT
Dear Sir
Further to my interview with Mr Councillor Gelling and yourself the other day in respect to the "Worked Stone" for the New Municipal Bank contract, the matter was further before the District Committee of the above at its meeting last evening, when I reported the purport of my interview at your Office.
I am desired to make representations to your Committee, the request of our members, that in their opinion the work should be carried out by a Birmingham firm of Contractors, and therefore would find employment for our Birmingham ratepayers.
It was also requested for me to ask that you would be good enough to receive a small deputation on this matter to explain the details of their case.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours faithfully,
ARTHUR LANE,
Divisional Secretary.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: April 27th 1932
1766 Mr T C Howitt (the Architect for the erection of the New Bank Premises) and Mr W B Bond (the Quantity Surveyor) attended the Meeting and remained throughout the proceedings.
The Sub-Committee interviewed the following applicants for the appointment of Clerk of Works for the erection of the proposed new Central Head Office of the Bank:
-
Mr B H Goulding; 24, Ramsden Road, Balham, London, SW12
- Mr F Horsfield; 125, Rake Lane, Wallasey, Cheshire
- Mr A Howell;
25, Hunter Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey
- Mr R C Long; 41, Hazelhurst Road, King's Heath, Birmingham
- Mr R Simmons; 73,
Victoria Road, Clapham Common, London, SW4
- Mr A E Wallwork; 309, Bolton Road, Pendlebury, Manchester
After each of the
candidates had appeared before the Sub-Committee, who carefully considered their experience and qualifications, it was:
1767 RESOLVED:- That Mr F Horsfield of 125, Rake Lane, Wallesley, Cheshire, be appointed to the position of Clerk of Works for the erection of the new Central Head Office Premises at a remuneration of £10 per week, the date when he shall commence his duties to be left to the Architect.
1768 The Sub-Committee then proceeded to consider representations which had been made on behalf of the Midland Federation of Building Trades Employers in regard to the Form of Tender, General Conditions, General Preliminaries and Bills of Quantities in respect of the New Central Bank and Head Offices. The comments of the Federation on the various clauses or items in question, together with the observations of the Corporation thereon are contained in the interleaved memorandum.
After discussing the points involved, the Sub-Committee received a deputation from the Federation, consisting of Messrs S Guy Sapcote, Percy W Cox and J E Gray. Mr Sapcote amplified the points raised by the Federation, and the Chairman informed the deputation that the Committee would carefully consider the points raised and decide thereon without delay and communicate with the Federation and the respective tenderers in the event of any modifications being agreed to. The Deputation thereupon withdrew and, after discussion, it was:
1769 RESOLVED:- That the Town Clerk be instructed to intimate to the Federation, and the General Manager to the tenderers for the erection of the Bank Premises, that the Committee have agreed to modifications as follows:
Form of Tender, Page 3.
The Bank Committee will accept as an alternative to a Guarantee by a Joint Stock Bank the Bond of an Insurance Company approved by the Committee.
General Conditions,
Clause 17, page 17.
The amount mentioned as liquidated damages for non-completion of the works, to be reduced to £75 per week, thus making the amount for damages equal to the amount of the bonus for earlier completion.
General Conditions, Clause 21, page 23.
The first certificate of the Architect will be issued for £5,000 and thereafter certificates will be issued monthly in respect of work done irrespective of amount.
General Preliminaries, Clause 2, Page 28.
The Architect will issue to the Contractor two copies of drawings instead of one copy, and also extra copies for the use of specialist Sub-Contractors.
General Preliminaries, Clause
17, Pages 34-35.
One sample only will be required by the Architect of any particular moulding or other work without payment.
1770 With regard to the remainder of the points raised by the Federation, the Sub-Committee were unable to accede to the suggestions made.
The Sub-Committee were informed that arrangements had been made with the owners of the Masonic Temple adjoining the Bank site for the payment to them of £1 per annum as an easement in respect of the main cornice of the Bank premises which would overhang the main entrance drive to the Temple; also a payment of 10/- per week for additional electric lighting required owing to the erection of a gantry, such payment to be made so long as the gantry exists; also £1 per annum as additional premium on the burglary and all risks policy, due to the erection of the gantry for the time the gantry exists.
1771 RESOLVED:- That the General Committee be recommended to approve these arrangements and to instruct the Town Clerk to prepare any necessary Agreement in respect of the easement, affixing the Corporate Seal thereto, if required.
General Purposes Sub-Committee: May 3rd 1932
1773 The General Manager submitted correspondence which he had had with the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Operatives upon the question of Portland Stone for the new Central Bank and Head Office premises, and also communications he had received with regard to the sub-contracts from Messrs H B Sale, Ltd and Messrs C Wade & Co.
1774 The Architect (Mr Howitt) reported that he had obtained tenders from selected Contractors, in respect of the stone work, granite, fire resisting floors, and steel work respectively. With regard to the first three named, he proposed with the approval of the Sub-Committee to require the main Contractors to enter into sub-contracts as follows:
Stone
Work.
The Bath & Portland Stone Company, at the sum of £10,525, the work to be completed within 22 weeks.
Granite.
Messrs Fennings - £1,968.
Fire Resisting Floors.
The Caxton Floor Company - £2,608 - to be completed within seven weeks from date of order.
The Architect assured the Committee that the standard rate of wages applying in Birmingham for stone work would also be enforced with regard to the sub-contract.
1775 RESOLVED:- That the Architect be empowered to require the main Contractors to enter into the sub-contracts with the firms named for the specialist works above-mentioned, in accordance with the procedure outlined in the General Conditions.
1776 With regard to the steel work, the Architect explained that it had been necessary for him to consult a reliable firm, owing to a good deal of preliminary consultation and survey being required before tenders could be prepared. Subsequently he invited six reputable firms to quote for the steel work and he had based the priced-in Bills of Quantities upon the lowest tender received, that of Messrs Morland Haynes & Co amounting to the sum of £6,590, the work to be carried out within a period of 16 weeks. Mr Howitt intimated that, although it would be a little difficult to call for further tenders, should the Sub-Committee desire him to obtain prices from Messrs Wade & Co of Birmingham and Messrs Braithwaite & Kirk of West Bromwich, he would do so before any tender was finally agreed upon. The Sub-Committee having expressed such a wish, Mr Howitt promised to arrange for these firms to be given an opportunity of quoting for the work, in competition with Messrs Morland Haynes & Co who would be allowed to submit a fresh quotation, and the Sub-Committee agreed to this course being adopted.
1777 The Sub-Committee gave preliminary consideration to the quotation of the Stone-laying Ceremony, which the Architect advised could be carried out about the middle of September, and authorised the Chairman of the General Committee and Alderman Sir Percival Bower to interview the Rt Hon Neville Chamberlain, MP, with a view to his performing the Ceremony.