Thread: Co-operative Wholesales Services, Birmingham

Originally built to be used as the Co-operative furniture factory(there were many co-op buildings around, producing various items on different sites) but the use was later changed to be the manufacture and maintenance site for scales and weights. Some of the items produced at that time are still in the basement, awaiting removal to a museum(well, they SHOULD be!!)

I've been waiting to see this place for a while now, but it's been well secured since the fire that almost destroyed it. Persistence has payed off today, and It's been worth the wait!!!








The tower was used as a water tower as usual, with service hatches on each level. The metal stairs were damaged in the fires of 2007, and now hold little strength. Bigger balls and no commitments would have seen me climb it, but I hate heights at the best of times! LOL





The basement was full of treasures.....







Old AVERY scales




I shots lots there, but these are the best. Since the fires, the place has been stripped out, and little of the original fittings remain. The building is planned to be used for a new hotel, with the original building being restored to its original state as per this planning permission.......

How it looks now after most of the building has been demolished........

Yeah but I'm not sure how much they can use now. When I visited the place, all the old brick work had been stored on pallets ready for the redevelopment work. I saw that all being loaded into skips so I guess the facade will be re-built with fresh stuff, if at all. Gutted as said it was such an amazing place with some un-real wood work in the offices, I never got to see.