Bank Committee: March 21st 1927
2627 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:
Erection of New Bank Premises at King's Heath.
Your Sub-Committee have considered tenders received for the erection of a Bank and dwelling accommodation at High Street, King's Heath, to take the place of the present Bank, and recommend that the tender of Mr George Mobbs, of Small Heath, which was the lowest received, be accepted at the sum of £3,790, and that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare the necessary Contract affixing the Corporate Seal thereto.
2628 RESOLVED:- That the tender of Mr George Mobbs at the sum of £3790 for the erection of new premises at King's Heath be accepted; and that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare the necessary contract and affix the Corporate Seal thereto.
General Purposes Sub-Committee April 11th 1927
1101 The General Manager reported that it had not been possible to proceed with the contract for the reconstruction of the King's Heath premises owing to the fact that Messrs. Madden, the occupiers of the living accommodation at the existing premises, had declined to vacate the premises in compliance with the notice terminating the tenancy served upon them claiming that they were protected by the Rent Restrictions Act, and that alternative accommodation should be provided.
Although the General Manager was satisfied the
protection referred to did not apply, he was endeavouring to make suitable arrangements, but failing this it might be necessary to
take legal action to obtain possession.
General Purposes Sub-Committee May 9th 1927
1118 On Minute No. 1101
(King's Heath premises) the General Manager reported that possession of the premises occupied by Messrs. Madden had been obtained,
and the Contractors would now be able to proceed with the erection of the new Bank.
Finance Sub-Committee July 11th 1927
The General Manager reported that Mr F Wilde had written stating that Mr Madden, the former tenant of the accommodation at the rear of the King's Heath premises, had only remitted the sum of £3. 15. 0d in respect of the accrued rent, which amounted to £10. Mr Madden had stated that he did not consider that he should be called upon to pay more than the sum of £3. 15. 0. in view of the fact that he had not occupied the whole of the premises, and after considering the circumstances it was
111 RESOLVED:- That the sum of £3. 15. 0. be accepted from Mr Madden in discharge of his liability in respect of rent at the premises formerly occupied by him at King's Heath.
Bank Committee: October 17th 1927
On Minute No 2628 (Erection of new premises, King's Heath) the Town Clerk presented the following report:
September 23rd 1927
I have to report that the following Contract is now duly completed:
Contract No: 2628 Contractor: G Mobbs
Particulars: Erection and completion of a new branch bank in High Street, King's Heath
2782 RESOLVED:- That Minutes Nos 2628 and 2662 be discharged.
General Purposes Sub-Committee January 9th 1928
The following report of the General Manager was received with reference to the reconstruction scheme at the King's Heath Branch.
KINGS HEATH BRANCH
The new buildings are advanced to such an extent that it is necessary to arrive at decisions regarding the advertisement arrangements, the party wall and the land at the rear, in all of which the Kingsway Cinema proprietors are interested.
The Cinema people and the Bank joined equally in the erection of a 4½" gable end wall adjoining our Bank on the side nearest town, the agreement providing for the top half of the wall to be used for advertisements by the Bank, and the bottom half for advertisements by the Cinema people. As the building is to be demolished we shall have to provide equal facilities for advertisements so far as the Cinema people are concerned. This can be done by building a new gable wall to the adjoining premises or placing a hoarding against such wall - the cost, of course, being borne by the Bank.
The party wall will be taken away to the line of the new frontage to the Bank which is in line with the Cinema, and will be made secure by forming part of the Bank boundary.
When the present buildings are demolished there will be a large space in front of the new Bank. The Cinema people would like to use this space for parking cars, but as the Bank is open on Monday and Saturday nights this should not be sanctioned. There are two ways of dealing with this land viz:- (1) the land could be transferred to the Public Works Department for street improvements at an agreed price or (2) it can be fenced in and retained by the Bank.
With regard to the rear premises it was suggested by the Cinema people that they should purchase or rent this land for parking cars, and possibly as an exit from the Cinema, the party wall being broken into for the purpose. Another suggestion was that the rear land should be used for private garages which the Bank would erect and charge a rental or alternatively, the Bank could lease the land to someone who would erect and maintain the garages.
A man named Tullett of 27 Poplar Road applied in April 1926 for a right of way over our land into Poplar Road from the rear of his premises and asked that consideration might be given to his request when the new building scheme was decided upon.
The City Surveyor is anxious to deal with the permanent connection to the sewer from the new building and to arrange as to demolition of present buildings, but this work cannot proceed until the points above-mentioned are cleared up with the Cinema people.
It is therefore recommended that the Chairman, with the Chairman of the General Purposes Sub-Committee,
Mr Wilde, the City Surveyor and General Manager, be empowered to deal with the whole of these matters and to conduct such negotiations
with the Cinema proprietors as may be necessary.
(January 4th 1928.)
The Sub-Committee having discussed the questions raised in the report, it was -
1214 RESOLVED:- That the whole of the questions arising out of the reconstruction of the
Bank premises at King's Heath be referred to the Chairman of the General Committee, the Chairman of this Sub-Committee, with Mr Wilde,
the City Surveyor and the General Manager, with power to deal therewith, and also to conduct such negotiations with the adjoining
owners as may be necessary with a view to arriving at satisfactory arrangements.
General Purposes Sub-Committee February 13th 1928
On Minute No. 1214, the following report of the General Manager regarding the demolition of the existing buildings and the granting of fresh advertising rights to the Kingsway Cinema was submitted:-
Kings Heath Branch.
The Chairman of the Bank Committee and the Chairman of the General Purposes Sub-Committee, together with Mr Lawton (Assistant City Surveyor), Mr Frank Wilde and the General Manager have attended on the site at Kings Heath and have discussed with the Chairman and Secretary of the Kingsway Cinema the question of demolition of the existing Bank buildings.
The Committee will remember that in November, 1925 an agreement was entered into between the Corporation and the Cinema Proprietors for the building of a new gable-end wall and providing joint advertising rights thereon. The agreement also provided for the erection of a new boundary wall, running back to the rear boundary, and also for the conveyance from the Picture House to the Bank Committee of a strip of land leading from Poplar Road.
The Cinema people expressed a wish that, when the present Bank buildings were demolished, the space in front of the new buildings should be kept open land and that they should be permitted to park cars on that land. They also wished to be in a position, if circumstances required it at a later date, to provide an exit from the rear of their theatre through the passage leading into Poplar Road.
The Bank representatives intimated that the question of parking in front of the new Bank buildings could not be entertained, and that if the land were retained by the Bank Committee it would be fenced in by posts and chains; but, if the land were transferred to the Public Works Committee it would be for that Committee to determine, although the Bank would not agree to the parking of cars in front of their building. The Bank representatives were in agreement with the Cinema people that when the demolition work was finished the front of the area should be paved or asphalted in a uniform manner, so that the space in front of the Cinema and the bank would be finished off somewhat in the same way.
The Bank representatives intimated that they would not part with any of their rights or the rights of the tenant who may live over the new Bank premises to the full use of the passage at the rear leading into Poplar Road, but that if at any later date the question of parting with that land did arise the Cinema people would have the first opportunity of considering it, and that if any permission should be granted for the passing or re-passing over such land the Cinema people, again, should have the first opportunity of considering the matter.
The representatives of the Bank agreed that the Bank should provide equal advertising facilities to those now enjoyed by the Cinema people, and that such provision would be made on the gable-end which would be exposed as a result of the demolition, or by the erection of a boarding by the side of such gable-end. The shape of the gable-end which will be exposed is different from that of the existing gable-end, but the total available space for advertising purposes will probably be about the same.
Until the demolition work is proceeded with it is impossible to tell whether it will be necessary from the point of view of safety to erect a 4½" gable-end wall, or whether a hoarding will suffice, but the cost of this will devolve upon the Bank.
The Bank representatives pointed out that the present advertising arrangements were unsatisfactory and constituted a nuisance, and that in any new agreement the Bank Committee would insist upon the placards, etc. being fixed in a suitable frame or exhibited in such a manner as not to be an "eyesore".
It will be necessary to give the Cinema people reasonable access across the land in front of the new Bank for the purpose of fixing their placards on the gable-end or the hoarding, as the case may be.
Having regard to the fact that the work has reached a stage when it will be necessary to get connections to the sewers, etc. from the new building, and to speed up the stage at which the work of demolition can proceed, the Chairman of the Bank Committee, through the General Manager, has requested the Town Clerk to go forward in regard to entering into a new agreement on the lines indicated in this report, and the Committee are asked to confirm his action.
The City Surveyor will bring before the Public Works Committee the question of purchasing
the land in front of the new Bank buildings, and Mr. Frank Wilde has been asked to advise as to a fair price for the land.
(February 10th 1928.)
1236 RESOLVED:- That the Bank Committee be recommended to approve of the arrangements set out in the report, and to instruct the Town Clerk to take such action thereon as may be necessary and to seal any required documents in the matter.
Bank Committee: February 20th 1928
2978 The following report of the General Purposes Sub-Committee was presented:
King's Heath Branch.
Interviews have taken place between Bank representatives and representatives of the Kingsway Cinema on questions arising from the erection of the new Branch Bank and the demolition of the present bank buildings.
The Committee will remember that in November 1925 an agreement was entered into between the Corporation and the Cinema proprietors for the building of a new gable-ended wall and providing joint advertising rights thereon. The Agreement also provided for the erection of a new boundary wall from the new gable end to the rear boundary, and also for the conveyance to the Bank Committee of a strip of land leading from Poplar Road.
The Cinema representatives expressed a wish that, when the present Bank Buildings were demolished, the space in front of the new buildings should be kept open, and that they should be permitted to park cars on that land. They also wished to be in a position, if circumstances required it at a later date, to provide an exit from the rear of their theatre through the passage leading into Poplar Road.
The Bank representatives intimated that the question of parking cars in front of the new Bank Buildings could not be entertained, and that if the land were retained by the Bank Committee it would be fenced in by posts and chains; but, if the land were transferred to the Public Works Committee it would be for that Committee to make arrangements, although the Bank would not agree to the parking of cars in front of their buildings. The Bank representatives were in agreement with the Cinema representatives that when the demolition work was finished the front of the area should be paved or asphalted in a uniform manner, so that the space in front of the Cinema and the Bank would be finished off somewhat in the same way.
The Bank representatives intimated that they would not part with any of their rights or the rights of tenant who may live over the new Bank premises to the full use of the passage at the rear leading into Poplar Road, but that if at any later date the question of parting with that land did arise the Cinema proprietors should have the first opportunity of considering it, and that if any permission should be granted for the passing or re-passing over such land the Cinema proprietors again should have the first opportunity of considering the matter.
The representatives of the Bank agreed that the Bank should provide equal advertising facilities to those now enjoyed by the Cinema proprietors and that such provision would be made on the gable-end which would be exposed as a result of the demolition, or by the erection of a hoarding by the side of such gable-end which will be exposed if different from that of the existing gable-end, but the total available space for advertising purposes will probably be about the same.
Until the demolition work is processed with it is impossible to tell whether it will be necessary from the point of view of safety to erect a 4½" gable-end wall, or whether a hoarding will suffice, but the cost of this will fall upon the Bank.
The Bank representatives pointed out that the present advertising arrangements were unsatisfactory and constituted a nuisance, and that in any new agreement the Bank Committee would insist upon the placards etc being fixed in a suitable frame or exhibited in such a manner as not to be an "eyesore".
It will be necessary to give the Cinema proprietors reasonable access across the land in front of the new Bank for the purpose of fixing their placards on the gable-end or the hoarding, as the case may be.
Having regard to the fact that the work has reached a stage when it is necessary to get connections to the sewers etc from the new building, and to speed up the stage at which the work of demolition can proceed, the Chairman of the Bank Committee, through the General Manager, has requested the Town Clerk to enter into a new agreement on the lines indicated in this report, and the Committee are asked to confirm his action.
The City Surveyor will bring before the Public Works Committee the question of purchasing the area of land in front of the new Bank buildings, and Mr Frank Wilde has been asked to advise as to a fair price for the land.
2979 RESOLVED:- That the arrangements agreed with the Kingsway Cinema Proprietors in connection with the demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of new Bank premises at King's Heath, as indicated in the foregoing report, be approved, and that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare and affix the Corporate Seal to any necessary document in the matter.