The position was created in the 1950s by the Public Works department to assist the design and construction of large building projects that were prompted by the demands of the growing population and by the vast amounts of money being invested into regenerating areas that had been devastated by the Luftwaffe in the Birmingham Blitz.
In the 1950s, Birmingham was suffering from a housing shortage for approximately 65,000 families and the council's initial attitude was to construct temporary prefabricated homes.
However, as demand for longer-lasting flats grew, the council decided that it these were necessary and that the five redevelopment areas, designated by Manzoni, were to be the key foci for modern housing provision.
His initial commissions were small-scale projects such as the former Register Office on Broad Street,[1] although he was given the opportunity to exhibit his preference towards mixed-use provision – usually a combination of residential properties and retail units.
In his first few years of being City Architect, Fidler witnessed the construction of many five and six story residential schemes designed by Manzoni such as the Marston Green estate.
Secondly, he ended the construction of Manzoni's six storey blocks and replaced them with schemes that were more specific towards the individual site and reflected for the need for the type of housing in the area.
Finally, he called for the appointment of a landscape architect to improve the layout of large housing estate, a policy that surprised many Birmingham councillors.
The use of reinforced concrete, cedar boards and aluminium frames for windows and the lack of brickwork showed how much influence S. T. Walker and Partners had on the design.
[4] Part of the City Architect's work involved conservation and repairing buildings which had been damaged in World War II.
[5] A project that Fidler became involved with was the Civic Centre scheme which had started just before World War II and resulted in the partially completed Baskerville House.
Whilst there had been opposition towards the demolition of the upmarket Victorian villas that were demolished to allow for the construction of the estate, much praise was given towards the masterplan which incorporated the existing mature trees.
[10] The council attempted to limit the damage caused to their reputation as a result of the scandal surrounding the resignation of Fidler by embarking on a major building project at Castle Vale with five new goals.
[8] The relationship between the council and Bryants was aided by an ex-Birmingham councillor and West Midlands MP who handled the firm's publicity.
To aid their position in securing contracts in Birmingham and the Black Country, Bryants gave gifts to senior members of the councils.
However, in November 1973, Alan Maudsley along with private architects John Sharp and Evan Ebery were arrested and charged with corruption relating to the awarding of contracts to Bryants.
[8] The two private architects were also arrested for corruptly conspiring to give money towards paying transport costs, hotel bills and the provision of a London flat for Maudsley.
[11] Alan Maudsley pleaded guilty to entering a corrupt relationship with Sharp and Ebery at Birmingham Crown Court in 1975.
[17] Conservation projects were also part of Maudsley's work load and in 1969 he designed the renovation of the Kingston Row terraced houses which date back to 1780.
The post of Deputy was abolished and four Assistant City Architects each headed major areas of work: Housing; Education and Social Services.
A further challenge arose when the Chief Executive, Tom Caulcott, launched a consultant’s review of the department to establish its viability and benefit to the city.
A further merger subsequently took place with the council’s building maintenance division, and the once prestigious and influential department effectively ceased to exist.