Subsequent to the visit to Oldbury, the General Manager presented a report, together with a letter received from the Clerk to
Oldbury Council, to a meeting of the General Purposes Sub-Committee on October 13th 1930:
Branches in Oldbury
In company
with Councillor Wallace of Oldbury, Councillor Hume and Mr Frank Wilde, I have inspected various sites which might be suitable for
a Branch Bank and also premises in the main street, near Church Square. In conjunction with Mr Wilde, I have also had interviews with
Councillor Wallace and the Clerk to the Oldbury Council.
As a result of the investigations made by Mr Wilde, there are three
proposals to consider.
1. The building in the main street, near Church Square, at present used as a Labour Exchange. This
building is ideally situated for the purpose of a Bank and lends itself to structural alterations such as we have carried out in Birmingham.
The premises consist of an office on the ground floor, having a depth of 50ft and a frontage of 27ft to the main street and 27ft to
Church Square. The first floor, which covers the same area, has been divided into a suite of offices. Adjoining, there is a dwelling
house consisting of sitting room, kitchen and scullery, four bedrooms on the first floor and five bedrooms on the second floor. The
property is well built and in the market centre. The offices are let on lease to HM Office of Works, the rental being £60 per annum,
plus rates and other outgoings, and the lease expires on the 25th day of March 1934. The dwelling house is let at a rental of £52
per annum inclusive.
The Oldbury Council have sold to HM Office of Works a plot of land on which the new Labour Exchange is at
present being erected and which will be ready for occupation about April next. HM Office of Works were favoured in the matter of price
for this land; paying 5/6d per yard although the Councillor had an offer from another source of 7/6d per yard for the same for the
same plot of land.
The price asked for the whole of these freehold premises is £2,500, which Mr Wilde states to be the full market
value. The Agents stipulate that their fees and Solicitors charges should be paid by the purchaser. The Representative of HM Office
of Works in Birmingham (Mr Hartley) states that they would require a premium for the surrender value at £150.
As a result of
my interviews with the representatives of the Oldbury Council, it is suggested that these premises should be bought by the Birmingham
Municipal Bank and that such portion as is not required by the Bank should be leased to the Oldbury Council for the purpose of their
Education Department. This would mean that the dwelling house and the rooms above the Bank could be leased to Oldbury. The Oldbury
Council would be prepared to transfer the tenant of the dwelling house to a Municipal house, and I understand the tenant is prepared
to agree thereto.
I, therefore, recommend, that Mr Wilde be instructed to continue negotiations for the purchase of the property
at a price not exceeding £2,500 plus Solicitors' and Agents' charges, and it is proposed that as soon as the purchase is completed
negotiations be opened with HM Office of Works regarding surrender of the lease, and that the Oldbury Council be asked to assist in
reaching a suitable financial adjustment.
2. Premises situate a few yards from the above and fronting the main street, consisting
of a delicensed public house belonging to Councillor Hadley, are also for sale with vacant possession. The price asked for these freehold
premises is £2,250. The premises have a frontage of 34ft 6" to the main street and a very extensive depth comprising bar, billiard
room, etc. I do not consider this proposal comparable with No 1 above, but they might be considered as an alternative.
3. Three sites were inspected as a result of which we came to the conclusion that the triangular site fronting Warley Road and Queen's Road was the most suitable. It transpires, however, that this particular site was sold in 1927 to a Mr Wheeldon who intended to erect shops thereon. The Surveyor to the Oldbury Council points out that the prescribed building line affecting this land would prevent the erection of a suitable building, and therefore I do not consider the proposal worth consideration. The other sites refer to land fronting Londonderry Road and a proposed new road, and another plot fronting Bristnall Hall Road. Of these two sites the first occupies the better position, and either could be purchased on reasonable terms from the Oldbury Council who own the land. I do not consider the question of establishing a second Bank in Oldbury to be an urgent matter, but it may be desirable to secure a site for a prospective Branch, particularly as several people are negotiating for these plots of land and the district is growing.
THE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL OF OLDBURY.
Your Ref. H/EM
Council Offices,
Our Ref. AC/VD
Oldbury.
8th October 1930
Dear Sir,
Oldbury
Employment Exchange.
With reference to the interview which you and Mr Frank Wilde
had with the Chairman of my Finance Committee and myself yesterday, as promised I now beg to confirm the purport of the interview,
which I understand we are prepared to recommend to our respective clients, namely:
1. The Birmingham Municipal Bank to acquire
the premises subject to the lease to H.M. office of Works, at a price not exceeding £2,500. plus premium for lease (if any) and costs
and charges.
2. My Council to lease from the Municipal Bank for offices such portion of the premises as are not required by the
Bank, upon terms and conditions to be mutually agreed, and if at any time during the currency of the lease the Municipal Bank are
desirous of disposing of the property my Council to have the option of purchasing the same, at a price to be mutually agreed upon.
3.
In the event of the property being acquired by the Municipal Bank before the new premises now in course of erection are ready for
occupation by H.M. Office of Works as an Employment Exchange, arrangements to be made whereby my Council may lease such portion of
the premises and the house upon terms to be agreed because office accommodation is urgently needed.
4. My Council undertake to
provide alternative accommodation for the occupier of the house.
5. The method and cost of carrying out any alterations to the
premises to make the same suitable for use as offices by my Council to be mutually agreed between us.
6. It is understood the
bases of any negotiations and agreements to be reached, having regard to the fact that two public authorities are concerned, and that
the bank is being established in this district in the interests of the Bank and the community as a whole, shall be reasonable to our
respective Clients and of an equitable nature.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) ARTHUR CULWICK,
Clerk of the Council.
J.P. Hilton Esq.,
General Manager,
Birmingham Municipal Bank,
6 & 8 Edmund Street,
Birmingham.
The Sub-Committee agreed that the premises in Church Square would be suitable for the Bank's requirements if they could be obtained
at a reasonable price and Frank Wilde was authorised to negotiate for the same. Subsequently, in November 1930, the General Manager
informed the Committee that Frank Wilde had purchased the premises for £2,500, plus Solicitor's fees of £40 and Agent's fees of £37.
10. 0d.
In December 1930, Frank Wilde reported that he was continuing negotiations on the question of obtaining a surrender of
the lease after a representative of HM Office of Works had asked whether it would be possible for a further lease to be taken by them
of one or two of the rooms on the first floor. He had pointed out, however, that an arrangement had been made for the whole of the
accommodation surplus to the Bank's requirements to be leased to the Oldbury Council.
In January 1931 Oldbury Council applied
to the Bank for the temporary use of the first floor, but it was pointed out that until the Labour Exchange Authorities had vacated
the premises there would be no accommodation available. However, providing that possession of the dwelling accommodation could be
obtained it would be possible to arrange for the temporary use of the house by the Council, at the same rent as that being paid by
the existing tenant.
In April 1931, the Labour Exchange was still resident in the Bank's premises and enquiring whether any of
the rooms would be available for letting. The General Manager informed them that the whole of the accommodation would be required
by the Council and the Bank. It was not until June that HM Office of Works agreed to a proposal by Frank Wilde that they should be
released from all liabilities under the covenants of the lease and be indemnified against all claims arising under the lease, on the
understanding that possession of the premises was given to the Bank on the property being vacated. A Surrender to give effect to this
arrangement was prepared by the Town Clerk and forwarded to HM Office of Works.
Oldbury Council now expressed their desire to
use the whole of the first and second floors and, if possible, part of the ground floor for use as a clinic for the Medical Officer's
Department. A rough plan prepared by Stewart Evans (Architect) was considered by the General Purposes Sub-Committee who agreed that
before dealing with the Council's application, a plan and scheme should be prepared for the branch after approval of which the Council
could be informed of the accommodation available and the possible use to which it may be put.
Detailed plans produced by Stewart
Evans were considered at a Bank Committee meeting on June 15th 1931. The plans showed the proposed adaption of the portion of the
premises required for the branch, at an estimated cost of £1,800, together with suggestions for the adaption and extension of the
remainder of the premises to meet the needs of the Council for the provision of a clinic and education offices, at an estimated cost
of £1,700. The Committee approved the plans and requested the General Manager to submit the suggested alterations for the non-branch
portions of the property to the Council and to negotiate with a view to fixing the basis of payment by them for their proper proportion
of the cost of the premises and the required alterations.
The next stage of the process was the presentation by the General Purposes
Sub-Committee of a report to the Bank Committee on July 20th 1931:
Premises at Oldbury.
As instructed by your Committee, the General Manager submitted the plans prepared by Mr Stewart Evans for the proposed alteration of the premises at Oldbury to representatives of the Oldbury Council, who intimated that it had now been decided not to proceed with the provision of a clinic. It was suggested that a suite of offices suitable for professional purposes might prove useful and advantageous.
Your Sub-Committee have accordingly
directed the General Manager to obtain from Mr Stewart Evans his suggestions for a suite of offices and the approximate cost thereof,
and to submit the same to the meeting of the General Committee on Monday, together with the plans as approved by the Oldbury District
Council.
At the meeting of the General Committee the General Manager submitted a plan prepared by Stewart Evans for the provision of a suite of offices at the rear of the main building in Church Square. The estimated cost of a suite consisting of two rooms was £650, and of four rooms £850, including necessary domestic accommodation at the rear. The General Manager explained that the proposal to build a clinic for the Oldbury District Council on the land at the rear and fronting to Church Square had fallen through, the Ministry of Health taking the view that a complete clinic and welfare centre should be provided on a larger site. The Chairman of the Oldbury Council had suggested the wisdom of utilising the space for the provision of offices, which he said were badly needed in Oldbury, and the General Purposes Sub-Committee had taken the view that the vacant space ought to be so utilised. Some members of the Committee now appeared to think that it was inadvisable to provide office accommodation as suggested, and expressed a doubt as to whether the same would prove a paying proposition. The majority of the members, however, were in favour of the land being used to the best advantage, and it was finally:
4153 RESOLVED:-
(1) That the plans submitted by Mr Evans showing the proposed alterations of the
premises at Oldbury for the purposes of the Bank and the Education Committee of the Oldbury Council be approved and the General Manager
be instructed to obtain tenders in the usual way.
(2) That the question of providing a suite of offices on the vacant land in accordance
with the further plan submitted by Mr Evans be left with the Chairman to settle, and that if he agrees that such provision should
be made, the General Manager be instructed to obtain tenders in the usual way.
(3) That the Chairman, with the Chairman of the Sub-Committee
or such other members of the Committee as may be available, be authorised to accept a suitable tender or tenders for the necessary
work, and that the Town Clerk be instructed to prepare and affix the Corporate Seal to any necessary contract.
Tenders were considered
by the General Purposes Sub-Committee on October 19th 1931 and that of Messrs A J Teal & Sons Limited, amounting to the sum of
£3,520 was accepted, this amount comprising three parts:
|
Banking premises |
£2,400 |
|
Education Offices |
£500 |
|
Suite of business offices |
£620 |
The
Oldbury Council requested that the alterations in the premises that were to be made to meet their requirements should be taken into
account in fixing the rent, and this was agreed. Frank Wilde and Stewart Evans were asked to confer and arrive at a reasonable rental
for the use of the whole of the office accommodation. In addition to the contract with Messrs Teal & Sons for the main construction
work, a contract was given to Mr R Hunt for the provision of the branch's counter and fittings for the sum of £340.
With the
construction work in hand, it was decided that the formal opening of the branch would take place on Saturday, April 30th 1932, with
the Lord Mayor presiding over the formalities with Councillor H Edwards (Chairman of the Oldbury Council) performing the opening
ceremony. In the meantime, the Chairman and Sir Percival Bower met representatives of Oldbury Council - the Council agreed to rent
the whole of the surplus office accommodation over the branch at an annual rental of £90 (Frank Wilde had recommended £110, plus £50
for the office suite), plus rates and cost of internal repairs, for a period of 7 years, with the option to renew the lease for a
further period of 7 years at an additional rental of £10 per annum; the lease to commence from April 1st 1932. The Council decided
they would not require the suite of offices that were being constructed to face Church Square, so these would need to be let off separately.
However, by May 1932, the Council had decided to take all the office accommodation subject to an extra £37. 10. 0. per annum rental.