Building Plans - Acocks Green Branch
Date Plans passed: October 20th 1924
Architect: Gerald McMichael
Builder: F
J Briley
Acocks Green branch initially commenced business in temporary premises in an old police station. A permanent branch was constructed
after the Bank purchased a substantial property at 1109 - 1111 Warwick Road. With an area of 875-square yards, this property
(a butcher's shop and adjoining double-fronted house) was too large for the Bank's purposes and a joint reconstruction was made with
the City's Gas Department. Gerald McMichael drew up the plans for this joint project.
The Block Plan shows the location of Acocks Green branch at 1111 Warwick Road (a former double-fronted house) and the adjoining Gas
Department showroom at 1109, a former butcher's shop.
This section of the Ground Plan includes the branch, the gas showroom, and part of the living accommodation with its entrance
at the side of the bank set slightly back. The note made by the planning authorities (in red) that the stonework each side of the
entrance to the bank "must not project" may have been ignored - as shown in the photograph below. The original plan shows that
the Gas Department were to have extensive stores and workshops to the rear of their shop.
The 1925 interior photograph shows the location of the Strongroom door (partly hidden by the cashier's desk, where there is
a poster advertising a Home Safe) and the door to the staff facilities. The Staff Messroom was a single storey construction
with a flat roof, enabling the architect to provide natural light through a high level window - see Section drawing below left.
In 1932, the architect Harold Scott prepared a plan for enlarging the premises so as to provide a larger public space and
increased counter and strong room accommodation.
The alterations gave a counter run of 34-feet, with a 10-foot private office,
and an enlarged Strongroom. The public space in front of the counter was increased to 10-feet deep, and satisfactory lighting
to the premises was provided by sky-lights.
The alterations involved taking in a portion of the downstairs living accommodation
attached to the Branch, and a slight alteration upstairs.