| AdminHistory | The Direct Labour Building Sub-Committee was formed in May 1954. Membership of the committee varied between four and six members of the main House Building Committee, and other officials, such as the Housing Manager, City Architect, the General Manager of the Direct Labour Building Department (after he was appointed) and the Chief Surveyor. The sub-committee was delegated the task of setting up an entire Department within the Council, called the Direct Labour Department, who took over the building work of the Council, rather than having the Council sub-contract the work out. Their sub-committee's tasks included appointing a General Manager for the Department, followed by all the other staff; finding office premises and works depots (the Rotten Park Depot, which later moved to Tyburn Road, Birmingham, with a second Depot at Yardley Green); purchasing the initial building equipment and building material supplies; organising the initial projects and achieving a cost structure for works. The department did not just concern itself with housing, for their remit covered schools and the premises of other Council Departments. In May 1964, the sub-committee and the department were both renamed, becoming the Building Sub-Committee and the Building Department respectively, though there was no change in function. |