General Purposes Sub-Committee: June 8th 1931

On Minute No 1667 (Northfield Branch and Sub-Branches), the General Manager submitted the following report:

Northfield Branch and Sub-Branches.

In accordance with the views expressed at the last Bank Committee Meeting, I propose to arrange for the amalgamation of the Longbridge Sub-Branch with Northfield to take place the last week in July, and from that time to make the Northfield Branch into a daily branch.

This will result in the Rednal and Rubery Branch, which is situate opposite the Austin Works, becoming a separate branch and not a sub-branch to Northfield. I have conferred with the Officer-in-Charge of our Northfield Branch on this matter, and have obtained particulars of where the present depositors of the Rednal and Rubery Branch reside. Out of 472 depositors, 247 reside in the village of Rubery and immediately surrounding; 69 reside at Rednal; 36 at various addresses in Northfield; 40 in other parts of Birmingham; and 80 in areas outside the City, 49 of the latter being in Bromsgrove.

The population of Rubery itself is given to me by the Clerk to the North Bromsgrove Urban District Council as being 2,500, and our Officer at Northfield Branch is of opinion that the 247 depositors resident in Rubery would be likely to continue to use the Bank if it was transferred to a site in the village of Rubery and opened on Monday and Friday evenings for two hours. It is very doubtful whether any of the Rednal depositors would go to Rubery, but on the other hand they might transfer their accounts to Northfield, or, of course, they might close their accounts. The depositors whose addresses are at Northfield would doubtless use the Northfield Branch, and those who reside in other parts of the City would doubtless transfer to one or other of the branches. The depositors from outside the City area are represented by employees at the Austin Works, who use the Branch across the way during the dinner-time, and would probably not use it during evening hours. If the Branch is removed to Rubery I think the name of the Branch would have to be changed also to "Rubery Branch".

Should the Committee think it desirable to continue the Rednal and Rubery Branch in the present building, our Officer-in-Charge is of opinion that attendance during the dinner-time on Mondays and Fridays would suffice. The reason he suggests Fridays is that wages are paid at the Austin Works on Friday morning, and some employees would use the Bank during the dinner-time.

The Committee will remember that at present depositors in the Rednal and Rubery Sub-Branch have the opportunity of using the Northfield Branch also for withdrawals, but when the Northfield Branch is turned into a daily branch this arrangement would cease and depositors would affect withdrawals at their own Branch.

It is difficult to advise the Committee as regards the Rednal and Rubery area, but on balance I am inclined to think that evening openings on Monday and Friday in a building situate in the centre of Rubery village would be more satisfactory than dinner-time openings in the present building.

1675   RESOLVED:- That the foregoing report be approved; that the General Manager be instructed to take all necessary steps for amalgamating the Longbridge Branch with the Northfield Branch, and to make the latter a daily branch as and from the last week in July; also to approach the North Bromsgrove U. D. C. with a view to permission being granted for the establishment of a Branch of the Bank in the village of Rubery, and to arrange in the meantime for the existing Rednal and Rubery Sub-Branch at the corner of Bristol Road and Rednal Road to be constituted a separate Branch and to cease to be a Sub-Branch of the Northfield Branch.

General Purposes Sub-Committee: June 15th 1931

Northfield Branch and Sub-Branches.

In accordance with Minute No 4097 of your Committee careful consideration has been given to the position regarding the Northfield Branch and its Sub-Branches, and in accordance with the views expressed by your Committee at their last meeting it is proposed to take all necessary steps for amalgamating the Longbridge Branch with the Northfield Branch, and making the latter into a daily branch, as and from the last week in July.

With reference to the present Rednal and Rubery Sub-Branch, situate opposite the Austin Works, your Sub-Committee have ascertained that the majority of the depositors reside in the village of Rubery. They are therefore of opinion that the North Bromsgrove U.D.C. should be approached with a view to permission being granted for the establishment of a Branch of the Bank in the village of Rubery to take the place of the existing Rednal and Rubery Branch, and they have instructed the General Manager to take steps accordingly.

In the meantime it is proposed to arrange for the existing Rednal and Rubery Branch to cease to be a Sub-Branch of the Northfield Branch and to become a separate Branch of the Bank.

Bank Committee: July 20th 1931

In connection with the change of evening hours of business from Saturday to Friday, the General Manager explained that the present Rednal and Rubery Branch (which was a sub-branch to Northfield) was open from 12:30pm to 2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and that as it had been decided to make Northfield Branch an ordinary Daily Branch with hours of business the same as other Daily Branches, it would mean providing a separate staff to attend at the Rednal and Rubery Branch on the days and during the hours named above. The business transacted would not justify such expense, and as a result of consideration of the matter by the Chairman and himself, it was felt desirable to make the Rednal and Rubery Branch an evening branch open from 6 to 8pm on Mondays and Fridays. The Chairman had directed the necessary steps to be taken to effect such change, and to regularise the procedure the General Manager asked for the confirmation of the Committee.

4179   RESOLVED:- That, as and from the 31st July 1931, the Rednal and Rubery Branch be opened on Monday and Friday evenings from 6 to 8pm instead of the present times of opening.

General Purposes Sub-Committee: March 19th 1934

Land at Longbridge.

Your Sub-Committee have made several inspections of buildings and sites in the Longbridge area with a view to making better Branch Bank provision to deal with the Rednal and Rubery district, as well as Longbridge. At present business is conducted on two evenings of the week in a wooden building on land opposite the Austin Motor Works, but the development of such Branch has not been satisfactory, and it is felt that some better and more convenient arrangement should be made. Mr Wilde has reported upon several properties and land, and after consideration, your Sub-Committee have directed that he be authorised to negotiate for the purchase of a plot of land on the Bristol Road, near to Broughton Crescent up to a price of 15/- per square yard.

General Purposes Sub-Committee: April 23rd 1934

Arrangements have been made for the purchase of the plot of land in Bristol Road near to Broughton Crescent, Longbridge, at a price of 15/- per square yard, and the Town Clerk has been instructed to take the necessary steps to complete the purchase.

It is recommended that this action be confirmed, and the Town Clerk authorised to enter into any necessary documents, affixing the Corporate Seal thereto.