Ongoing research; last updated 5 February 2011
After October 1911 the Kings Norton and Northfield Urban District Council was subsumed within the City of Birmingham (under the terms of the Birmingham Extension Order 1911) and what follows is taken from the minutes of the Parks Committee[1] of the Birmingham City Council, or their Sub Committees, and from press reports. Where the same information is given in separate minutes (as in Sub-Committee reports to the parent Parks Committee), only one piece of text has been transcribed, but the multiple references are given.
Since the new administration had a much greater responsibility in terms of the increased number of parks and recreation grounds coming under its remit, the Parks Committee minutes tend to record more general considerations, and specific references to Selly Oak Park are therefore fewer.
4 Resolved:- That the following Sub-Committees be appointed for the current Municipal Year. Viz:-
(a) Finance Sub-Committee
(b) Administration Sub-Committee
(c) General Purposes Sub-Committee
The annexed Report by Councillors Brown, Norman, Chamberlain, and Reading at the request of the former Baths and Parks Committee having reference to the reorganization necessary in the Parks Department consequent upon the Birmingham Extension Order 1911 was received.
11 Resolved:- That the Report be received and the further consideration thereof deferred until the next meeting.
To the minute is attached -
Memorandum prepared by Councillors Brown, Norman, Chamberlain, and Reading, who were requested by the Baths and Parks Committee to consider the reorganization necessary in the Parks Department consequent upon the Birmingham Extension Order, 1911.
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At the outset it may be well for us to explain to the new Committee that the work of the Baths and Parks Department, which is now to be administered by two distinct Committees, has hitherto been carried out by one Committee, having separate Sub-Committees for the Baths and Parks respectively.
In the memorandum there then follows
· a report from the City Treasurer regarding proposed changes in his Department to accommodate the enlargement.
· A similar report made by the Parks Superintendent:
Report of Parks Superintendent[3]
Present Position
It has been the practice in each of the outside districts to be incorporated to have all the required carting carried out by the Public Works Department, and consequently when the Parks and Open Spaces are added to the Parks Department it will be necessary to at once provide a horse and cart for each district except Handsworth, where a horse and cart is attached to the Parks Department. Also the staff is partly composed of men belonging to the Parks Department and partly belonging to the Public Works Department, and the organization will involve the appointment of several men in each district to fill up the vacancies caused by the withdrawal of the Public Works men.
Several of the spaces to be taken over are at present not under any control, and have no individual in charge; in addition it is also the practice for one man to supervise several places. The places which are affected in this way are indicated in the Report which I recently prepared (see Schedule B appended). I regard the supervision of several places by one Park-keeper as unsatisfactory, from the fact that I should be unable to locate him at any particular park, and thus he could somewhat easily escape my own direct supervision. In my report already referred to will also be found set out the grounds which have yet to be laid out.
Suggestion for Re-organisation
I would suggest that each of the Parks and Recreation Grounds taken over should be placed under the direct charge of a park-keeper, who could be designated Head Keeper of that particular park or recreation ground. These men could be found from our present staff, which could be augmented when found necessary. I think if this were done I should have no difficulty in keeping these men under my own personal supervision, and that of my Assistant, Mr. Hearn. Beyond this I do not think it would be necessary in the early stages of the work to require any additional supervision.
The Memorandum then records the Sub-Committee’s consideration of the reports:
We have carefully considered these reports, in conference with Mr. Collins, the Deputy Treasurer, and Mr. Morter, Chief Officer of the Parks Department, and now submit the following observations and recommendations for the guidance and consideration of the Parks Committee.
One relevant paragraph from this long report is:
Upon the question of supervision, we consider that the arrangement suggested in the Parks Superintendent’s report should be adopted and reported on if necessary when the re-organised Department has been in operation for, say, some six or twelve months. It will be noticed in the appended schedule of open spaces that a considerable number require more or less preparation, laying out and equipping, and we think that the suggestion that these matters should be left over for future consideration when the members of the Committee have had an opportunity for visiting the places in question is a good one, and we recommend that this course be pursued.
(Part of) Schedule B
The following are the particulars of the added areas, which will now be controlled by the Parks Department
District | Description and Situation | Area | Particulars of Staff | Remarks |
Kings Norton and Northfield | Selly Oak Park, Gibbins Road | A R P 11 2 5 | I Superintendent at 30s. week, with house, coal and gas 4 men at 24s. week |
4th December 1911 – Parks Committee
48 Resolved:- That the Administration Sub-Committee shall have under their control and charge the following matters reporting to this Committee as occasion may require:
Staffing
Boat Pools
Refreshment Rooms
Bathing Pools
Leases and Agreements
Properties
Stores
Office
Music in the Parks
Carrying out recommendations as to laying out
Trees in Streets
49 Resolved:- That the General Purposes Sub-Committee shall have under their control and charge the following matters:
New sites and extensions and as to laying out
Town Planning
Games
[1] Reference in Birmingham Central Library, Archive Section – BCC/Parks Committee
[2] It included Councillor Shann from the former Kings Norton and Northfield Urban District Council and their Park, Baths and Cemeteries Committee.
[3] Note - This is not now Josiah Thomas Horton – rather it is the overseer of the Birmingham parks, Mr. Morter.
