Barclays Bank, Perry Barr, Birmingham, 05/04/2021

[bloodklaat]

Hi folks

Those who live in North Birmingham and travel regularly to the city centre are accustomed to the view of Perry Barr roundabout vicinity being gradually demolished and redeveloped and the whole area having a transformation due to the old University site being cleared and new Athletes' Village being erected on it, for the Commonwealth Games 2022. As the coronavirus happened, it is now known that the Athletes' Village won't be completed on schedule and it's going to be turned into a new settlement for the poor straightaway after completion, with the competitors being housed elsewhere for the games, if the games are happening at all.
Regardless of the pandemic, demolition work is being carried out, the last victim of it being the cluster of old terraced buildings on the Birchfield Rd, NE corner of the Perry Barr roundabout, with the Barclays Bank as the most prominent part of it. As I am typing this, the north section of the terrace is gone, the rest of it looks like it's just had an aerial bombardment from Luftwaffe and the bank building still kind of stands, although half of its roof is already missing.
The site is normally fenced off and there are some workers present but today we have Bank Holiday (Easter Monday) and high winds have blown the Harris fence down, facilitating easy entrance. Passing by, I saw the opportunity so I just have parked my car in Perry Barr and walked in to take some impromptu pics documenting this site.

Please note I didn't know how long I had before some law or other concerned citizen turns up (no one has) so I was taking the pics as fast as I could. They include back view of what's left of the shops, main bank hall, by now mostly stripped of all fittings and the vaults. There are at least two vaults with steel heavy door each, also a lot of infrastructure still left, and the lift, with some heavy piece of equipment (a safe?) in it. I could venture upstairs but decided against it as I would be seen from the road through empty window holes.
I guess you can still go there today, it's still wide open and no one cares, it being spring Bank Holiday in Perry Barr, as long as you aren't seen carrying anything out of the site : )
Enjoy.

 

[bloodklaat]

WTF there is no pics. Let me try and upload them again...

So this is the way in

The aspect of the shops we can rarely see

This place provided an important service, enabling you to send your money to the scammers in Nigeria, in return for the promise of an untold riches.

The bank's backyard

That's where the tellers used to be. I was there once or twice when the bank was still open. By far, the worst bank I've been in. Long queues, waiting forever, the staff who didn't care, general feeling of "something bad is going to happen soon".

The cellars. Sorry for the quality, I had only my smartphone and no tripod, no lighting.

One of the vaults

The lift

Second vault

Quite moldy, this place, due to poor ventilation?

Additional security feature

The lift, ground floor, and, to the right, a staircase I didn't dare to climb.

 

[westernsultan]

Has worked started yet in demolishing the Perry Barr bus depot?

Birmingham Council condemned for £16m bus depot move

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick says there are 'many examples' of Birmingham City Council wasting money

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[Speed]

The bus depot was in use a week or two ago. It's on my radar tho.

 

[Bando Exploration]

I believe there building part of Birmingham university in Perry barr saw the building site and crane massive building site a bit of history vanished forever