NW	NE	SUMMER LANE
SW	SE	260 Summer Lane, Birmingham

This branch, in an inner suburb of Birmingham, opened at 260 Summer Lane on Saturday, April 25th 1925, and the opening hours were:
    - Mondays 18:00 to 20:00
    - Saturdays 18:00 to 20:00

 

The premises used for this Evening Branch came to the attention of the Bank in December 1924 when the General Manager reported to the General Purposes Sub-Committee that the present tenant would require payment of £75 in respect of vacant possession and fittings which include electric light throughout, and the owner of the property, Mr J Brown of Copeley Hill, Stockland Green, Erdington, is prepared to enter into a lease for a period of seven years at a rental of £45 per annum, with an option to renew for a further seven years at £50 per annum.The property comprises on the ground floor a retail shop with a frontage of 14'6" and a depth of 14', and living-room 13' x 12', which might be made into one by the removal of the division wall; a living kitchen with grate and scullery; cellar basement: on the first floor, two bedrooms, and on the second floor an attic bedroom and box-room. The property is in a very fair state of repair, having regard to its age, and there is a small working market in this vicinity.

 

 

The number of open accounts after 12-months was 616, with an average balance (less than £9, when the Bank average was £34) that illustrated the poor nature of the people living in this inner city area. At March 31st  1926, Deposit balances amounted to £5,308; they then increased to £8,602 at November 30th 1926.

 

 

	Deposits (£)	Repayments (£)	Transactions	New Accounts	Renewed Accounts	Closed Accounts
Apr  1925	90		35	27
May	462	11	280	88		4
Jun	282	17	211	27		8
Jly	206	127	252	37	2	11
Aug	335	61	325	81	5	14
Sep	512	42	444	58		2
Oct	676	65	577	57	2	16
Nov	690	132	554	47	4	22
Dec	352	496	313	20		15
Jan 1926	919	154	823	145	10	11
Feb	934	115	988	104	5	21
Mar	1,162	192	958	49	6	34
Totals:	6,620	1,412	5,760	740	34	158

 

By November 1927, the General Manager was considering the Bank's options in this part of the city, and presented the following report to the General Purposes Sub-Committee:

 

In April 1925 a Branch of the Bank was opened at No 260 Summer Lane, on Monday and Saturday evenings, the shop portion of the premises being used for this purpose. The premises were taken on a lease for 14 years at a rental of £45 for the first 7 years and £50 for the next 7 years, determinable at the option of the Corporation at the end of the first 7 years. The dwelling accommodation is sub-let at a weekly inclusive rental of 10/-d.

 

At the time it was decided to set up a Branch in this area the Committee felt it to be advisable to try this district by means of an evening Branch in rented premises rather than purchase premises outright.

 

The Branch, although situate in a poor locality, has proved its usefulness, and has now reached a stage when further development is hampered by the lack of space and the restricted facilities. To carry out alterations to such a poor structure, in order to provide daily facilities, would be a very costly matter, and the limited frontage does not lend itself to such a proposal. The frontage measures 15ft and the banking office itself measures 14ft 6" x 13ft with a space for the public of only 14ft 6" x 5ft 8". The transactions at this Branch average 117 per evening.

 

The progress of the Summer Lane Branch will be realised from the following figures:-

 

	Year ended 31. Mch.1926	Year ended 31.Mch.1927	Seven months ended 31.Oct.1927
Amount deposited	£6,620	£10,855	£8,529
Amount withdrawn	£1,412	£  5,793	£4,493
No. of transactions	5,760	9,446	6,798
Depositors' balances  at end of period	£5,308	£10,664	£14,867
No. of open accounts   at end of period	616	988	1,188
Water Accounts dealt with	1	26	13
Gas Accounts dealt with	-	9	7
Electricity Accounts dealt with	-	9	16

 

It will be seen that there is now a sufficient depositorship amongst this poorer section of the community to warrant proper banking facilities being provided, and I recommend the Committee to instruct Mr Wilde to negotiate for a site either in Summer Lane or Newtown Row, which would meet our needs. Having regard to the locality, it is doubtful whether premises sufficiently well-built to justify structural alterations can be secured, but it ought to be possible to secure premises forming a site on which a suitable building could be erected.

 

The General Manager was instructed to endeavour to secure a suitable site in the Summer Lane area, and eventually the branch was closed on February 10th 1930, and the business was transferred to Newtown Row.