Building Plans - Bearwood Branch
Date Plans passed: September 30th 1927
Architect: H Stewart Evans
This
set of plans relate to the premises occupied by the Bank
from November 3rd 1919 to September 6th 1929.
These temporary premises were
very cramped and the plans
were drawn to provide additional accommodation, but the
proposed building work did not take place when a
plot of land
at 143 Sandon Road was acquired for the construction of a permanent branch
The temporary office at
177 Sandon Road was located adjacent to the city's boundary with Smethwick
The temporary branch ('PRESENT') has very small areas for both depositors and staff.
There is no strongroom and there is little in
the way of staff facilities - just a WC, a 'Wash-up' area, and a detached messroom.
However, this layout only prevailed after
temporary alterations were made in late 1926 - prior to that date the premises were said to "comprise a front room on the
ground floor which is used by the Bank, and living accommodation at the rear and above"
The proposed plans included changing the front elevation to utilise the cast stone design used in many permanent branches.
The narrow
door shown on the right of the drawing leads to a passage entry to the flat above the branch.
The photograph of the existing frontage
includes the boundary marker between Birmingham and Smethwick