HOUSE PURCHASE DEPARTMENT:
First National Housing Trust
Report and Valuation by the Bank's Valuer (Frank Wilde)
on a proposed advance for the erection of houses
on the Pheasey Estate, Great Barr
(NOTE: the plan referred to in this report was not found in the Bank's Archives)
FRANK WILDE & GLOVER,
38 Waterloo Street,
Birmingham, 2.
8th April 1937.
Dear Sir,
Pheasey Estate, Great Barr.
In accordance with your instructions I have inspected certain houses already erected by the First National Housing Trust Ltd and have
carefully examined Plans, Sections and Elevations of those they propose to build, furnished by Mr Ernest Willson, the Architect to
the Company.
SITUATION.
A portion of the Estate is situate within the City Boundary and the remainder is within the Aldridge Urban District. The Estate containing
an area of 272 acres, or thereabouts, as shown by the colour pink on the attached Plan, is about six miles from the City Centre.
On the North Eastern side of the Estate a considerable area of
land is in the ownership of British Cyanides Ltd and it would appear there is a possibility of Industrial Development on that side,
other land belongs to Mr Charles Pickering and Mr J W Henn, and the remainder is Great Barr Church Land.
The land on the Western side, on the opposite side of Beacon Road,
belongs to the Handsworth Wood Estates Ltd.
On the Southern side the adjoining land is also in the ownership of the Handsworth Wood Estates Ltd. (a portion of which it is suggested
shall be used for Industrial Purposes). There is a site reserved for a Licensed House by Messrs Mitchells & Butlers Ltd and also
on this side lies the fully developed Birmingham Corporation Kettle House Farm Estate.
On the Northern side the Estate is bounded by a plot of land belonging
to the Friends Occupation League and two other plots in private ownership.
Great Barr Hall is in the near vicinity, and a certain portion
of the Park is in course of development for building purposes.
LEVELS.
The land stands on an eminence, not far from Barr
Beacon, gradually sloping from the North to the South, the highest point is 650ft. above sea level, while the lowest near the Old
Horns Inn is 455ft. above sea level.
MINES and MINERALS.
These are reserved but can be worked only below a depth of 300 yards and in the event of any subsidence the Hamstead Colliery Company
undertake to pay reasonable compensation.
The mining rights under the portion of the land edged blue on the Plan are already leased to the Hamstead Colliery Co who, I understand,
are now "getting" coal. I am informed that the remainder of the site is not, so far, being worked for minerals.
The BUILDINGS.
These are to be erected in seven different types in blocks, as
under, with varying elevations:
Type "A" Blocks of six each containing three bedrooms.
Type "B" Pairs of semi-detached houses each having three bedrooms.
Type "C" Blocks of six, the four middle houses having three Bedrooms,
and the two end houses only two Bedrooms.
Type "D" Blocks of four, the two middle house having three Bedrooms,
and the two end houses only two Bedrooms.
Type "E" Blocks of four, each having three Bedrooms.
Type "F" Pairs of semi-detached houses each having three Bedrooms.
Type "G" Blocks of three, two having three Bedrooms
and one of the end houses only two Bedrooms.
FLOOR SPACE.
This is as follows:
|
Type |
super feet |
|
"A" |
762 |
|
"B" |
752 |
|
"C" 2 Bedrooms |
704 |
|
"C" 3 Bedrooms |
762 |
|
"D" 2 Bedrooms |
686 |
|
"D" 3 Bedrooms |
762 |
|
"E" |
772 |
|
"F" |
782 |
|
"G" 2 Bedrooms |
686 |
|
"G" 3 Bedrooms |
762 |
The HOUSES.
These will number 3,246, ie 490 within the City Boundary and 2,756
within the Aldridge Urban District. The accommodation is practically the same with the exception of the houses having two Bedrooms
only, and the majority will each contain:
A small square quarry Hall, Parlour, and Living Kitchen with quarry floor and sink.
Pantry with quarry floor. Three Bedrooms, two having fireplaces, Clothes Closet and Bathroom.
(A limited number of houses will have only two Bedrooms one of
which will be without fireplace.)
Outside, Coals and WC under
covered Lobby.
The Garden plots will be of a reasonable size
having regard to the character of the houses.
The height of
the ceilings will be 8ft. on the Ground and First Floors.
FITTINGS.
There is an oak mantelpiece in the Parlour, the Living Kitchen having an over oven grate, cupboards and Clothes Airer. The circulation
for the domestic supplies will be in copper including the boiler and hot water cylinder. This is an advantage, particularly where
houses are to be held as an Investment as in the present case.
The Kitchen and Bedroom grates are fitted with iron mantelpieces.
The general fitting of the houses is not in accordance with modern
requirements, there will be no electric or gas fires in the Bedrooms as these will be provided with open grates. The quarry floor
to the Living Kitchen and the absence of a small Scullery will be a disadvantage. The casements will be in wood, the baths will not
be enclosed, there is no tiling and the old type of rim lock will be used.
The fittings as a whole are fairly strong but of an unattractive
character, this, however, is to be expected if the cost of the houses is to be approximately £375 and £400 Freehold. If the price
of houses came down generally bringing about the erection of blocks of houses for Investment purposes there might an improvement in
the fittings in the newer houses with a consequent depreciation in the value of the houses to which this Report refers.
The houses are similar in many respects to those erected by the
Municipal Authorities with the exception that the former have cavity walls and untorched roofs. The cavity walls are, of course,
an advantage. There is a divergence of opinion as to the torching of roofs, and personally I consider that all tiled roofs should
be torched but I am informed by Mr Williams that the tiles are given a 3" lap instead of 2½". This greater lap might prevent snow
and rain getting under the tiles as often happens when there is a driving wind. The bricks are to be London Rustic or Black Country
Reds set in cement compo mortar, the gutters will be of iron and the flashings of lead. The partition walls on the First Floor
will be in Breeze slabs.
The gardens will be enclosed by 2ft.6in. cleft chestnut pale fences, and the foregrounds by dwarf feather edged oak fences with concrete
posts.
RENTS,
I understand the rents are to be 13/3d., 14/3d., and 15/3d. per week (Landlord paying all Outgoings). These figures are 9d. in excess
of the figures charged for the houses already erected, 7d. is accounted for by the increase in the cost of materials and the remaining
2d. is due to the increase in Rates.
The houses I inspected appear to be occupied by a very fair class of Tenant and Mr Willson informed me that there are practically
no arrears on the two thousand houses already erected, and further that he has had eleven thousand applications for the new houses.
The ROADS.
I understand these are to be made at the expense of the First National
Trust Ltd and will ultimately be taken over by the City of Birmingham and the Aldridge Urban District Council respectively.
SERVICES.
In the Birmingham area the Gas, Water and Electricity will be supplied
by the Corporation, but the Sewers will be in the joint ownership of the Birmingham Corporation and the Aldridge Urban District Council.
The houses in the Aldridge district will be supplied with South Staffordshire Water, and Walsall Corporation Gas and Electricity.
VALUATION.
I understand administration expenses are included in the price
quoted but no Builders' profit is to be included, and providing the houses are up to the standard of those I inspected I shall be
prepared to value the same, Freehold, as under:
|
Type |
|
|
"A" |
£375 (Three hundred and seventy five pounds) |
|
"B" |
£375 (Three hundred and seventy five pounds) |
|
"C" 2 Bedrooms |
£350 (Three
hundred and fifty pounds) |
|
"C" 3 Bedrooms |
£375 (Three hundred and seventy five pounds) |
|
"D" 2 Bedrooms |
£350 (Three hundred and fifty pounds) |
|
"D"
3 Bedrooms |
£375 (Three hundred and seventy five pounds) |
|
"E" |
£375 (Three hundred and seventy five pounds) |
|
"F" |
£400 (Four hundred pounds) |
|
"G"
2 Bedrooms |
£350 (Three hundred and fifty pounds) |
|
"G" 3 Bedrooms |
£375 (Three hundred and seventy five pounds) |
Yours faithfully,
(Sgd.) FRANK WILDE
J P Hilton Esq, CBE
Birmingham Municipal Bank,
Broad Street,
Birmingham.