Branch-Heybarnes

NW	NE	HEYBARNES	34th
SW	SE	170 Fosbrooke Road, Small Heath, Birmingham	1929

J P Hilton's book (Britain's First Municipal Savings Bank) mentions that the Bank had purchased a plot of land at this corner site, and the Bank's 1928 Annual Report states that a new building was then in the course of erection. The freehold plot, an area of 615 square yards, was purchased from the City's Housing Department in 1927 at a cost of 15s per square yard (£461).

Surprisingly, considering that the plot was not in an established shopping area, and that there were a number of other branches nearby, there seems to have been no efforts to test customer demand with a temporary office as had been the usual practice at other branches opened in the previous few years. Nevertheless, a very substantial building was erected (including a flat) at a cost of £4,035. The opening of the branch was reported in the Birmingham News.

The growth of business was poor, and for part of the time during the Second World War, the branch was opened only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The status of the branch then came under review in July1945, when the General Manager reported as following to the Bank's Committee:

This branch was open from April 1929 to August 1940 as a daily branch. To overcome staffing difficulties, openings were reduced to half-week, and the branch was run in conjunction with other branches until March 1942. From March 1942 to March 1943 daily openings were provided; but once again, to meet staffing difficulties, we had to run the branch in conjunction with Kitts Green, which arrangement continues.

Development of this branch has not been satisfactory, and there is no likelihood of appreciable improvement. The following figures show the position of the branch year by year:

below (April 27th 1929):

the official party arrives for the opening ceremony of the new branch.

below:

The crowd assembles to witness the opening ceremony, performed by the Lord

Mayor (fourth left); accompanied by the Bank's Chairman (fifth left - Sir Percival Bower); and the Bank's General Manager (second right - J P Hilton)

2008: the building is now the site of
the QAMARUL ISLAM MOSQUE

The date '1928' is incorporated in
a rainwater hopper

In July 1947, the Bank's Management Committee decided to close the branch and dispose of the premises. The Rateable Value of the branch was assessed at £105 and of the flat at £27 .15s. 0d. In view of the branch's proximity to the Heybarnes Estate, the City's Estates Department investigated the possibility of transferring the premises back to the Housing Department.

The Estate's Department passed the following resolution on October 21st 1947:

That the General Manager [of the Estate's Department] be instructed to consult the District Valuer and ascertain terms upon which he would be prepared to recommend the transfer of land and premises, now under the control of the Bank Committee in Fosbrooke Road, to Housing Account, and to report thereon to the Estate's Sub-Committee in due course.

On April 19th 1948, the Bank's Finance and General Purposes Sub-Committee reported as follows to the Bank Committee:

A letter has been received from the General Manager of the Estates Department, containing the following points:

(a) Whether the valuation of the Heybarnes branch for the purpose of appropriation to the Housing Act, 1936 is to be assessed under the basis of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1944, or under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947.

(b) The District Valuer, without committing himself at this stage, is of the opinion that he would be unable to assess the transfer value at £4,035 which was the original cost of the buildings.

(c) To convert the ground floor into living accommodation would be both impracticable and expensive, and that taking all the circumstances into consideration, it would not be advisable for the premises to be appropriated to the Housing Act, 1936.

(d) That the various Committees of the Corporation have expressed no desire to appropriate the property.

Mr Wallace Smith [the General Manager of the Estate's Department] concludes by stating that it would seem advisable for the Bank Committee to decide to let the premises for commercial purposes outside the Corporation, and assumes that the matter would be referred to the Estates Department in the usual way for management.

Your Sub-Committee recommend that the General Manager be requested to inform the General Manager of the Estates Department that, in the circumstances, the Bank propose to deal with the premises direct as empowered by Bank Regulation No 13, and that the General Manager be further requested to arrange for Mr Glover, the Bank's Agent, to make enquiries regarding the prospect of letting the banking part of the premises to an Insurance Company or other suitable concern, and to give an estimate of the rent obtainable.

The Bank's Agent (Mr C M Glover) suggested that a fair rental would be £250 per annum, with the tenants paying rates and all outgoings, and being responsible for interior maintenance, on a lease of 7 years. The Bank stipulated that 3 months' notice would be required before vacant possession would be given, and that all the Bank interior fittings (including the counter) would be removed by the Bank.

During 1948, interest in the premises were expressed by L B Henderson & Partners, Consulting Engineers of Summer Hill Street; Messrs Santon Ltd, Electrical Engineers of 269 Broad Street; and the National Union of Public Employees. It is not known whether any of these enquiries came to fruition, but the premises were probably sold in the 1950s.

Year Ended March 31st	Balances £	Open Accounts	Transactions
1930	20,852	1,332	11,429
1931	32,605	1,746	13,741
1932	39,571	1,829	13,157
1933	46,526	1,966	13,145
1934	54,032	2,084	13,910
1935	58,491	2,268	14,574
1936	65,678	2,370	15,361
1937	74,349	2,484	16,174
1938	80,784	2,576	18,115
1939	87,161	2,663	18,936
1940	95,362	2,683	17,226
1941	114,488	2,768	15,235
1942	140,175	2,854	15,581
1943	170,920	2,904	16,039
1944	195,523	2,908	12,673
1945	219,416	2,952	11,498

In view of these figures, I am of the opinion that the branch should be closed, and the accounts transferred to Yardley or other branches selected by depositors. Yardley branch is about a mile from Heybarnes; Hay Mills about ½ mile; Little Bromwich about ½ mile; Bordesley Green 1 mile; and Small Heath 1 mile. Depositors would have a good choice in transferring to another branch.

The branch's balances reached £266,621 at March 31st 1946. This placed Heybarnes 63rd out of the Bank's 68 branches. Branches that had opened at dates near to Heybarnes' opening (27/4/1929) had attracted considerably higher deposits: Sparkhill (21/7/1928; 18th; £1,285,909); Sherlock Street (21/1/1929; 51st; £547,650); Short Heath (4/1/1930; 34th; £805,651).

However, the General Manager's recommendation to close Heybarnes was not implemented until 1948. In the meantime, when the Bank's opening hours were amended from January 1st 1946, other branches were notified that Heybarnes was to continue as a part-time branch (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) in conjunction with Newtown Row (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). The branch's statistics for 1947 were:

Year Ended March 31st	Balances £	Open Accounts	Transactions
1947	237,029	2,958	11,690

With a view to closing the branch on September 4th 1948, notice was sent to each depositor, and advertisements were placed in four local newspapers and repeated at fortnightly intervals. After the close of business on Saturday, September 4th, the remaining accounts of Heybarnes were transferred to Yardley branch.

below:

the Lord Mayor speaking at the opening of the branch

Formally opened on April 27th 1929, by the Lord Mayor (Alderman W Byng Kenrick), Heybarnes branch was located at the corner of Hobmoor Road and Fosbrooke Road, on the Heybarnes Housing Estate in the Bordesley Green/Small Heath area to the east of the city centre.