Birmingham’s flagship gardening show is to be held in a derelict Broad Street bank after being axed from Kings Heath Park.

The Gardeners’ Weekend show had been at the park for the last 20 years but the city council decided it was too expensive to run.Now the flower show will be taken inside the main hall of the historic 1930s Municipal Bank building.

It will be held on September 10, with a linked outdoor allotments event in the city centre Gardens behind Centenary Square.

The bank, which has a Grade II preservation order, has been empty since 2001 and is earmarked for offices as part of the long-awaited Arena Central and V-Building development.

But building work is unlikely to begin for up to a decade.

Coun Martin Mullaney, cabinet member for leisure, wants to use the building, which boasts Roman columns, stained glass windows and fine decorations, as an arts and culture centre.

More recently the vast space has been used as a makeshift studio by TV companies with programmes like BBC’s Hustle and Nigel Slater’s Toast filmed inside.

Coun Mullaney said: “Last year we paid a subsidy of £89,000 to the Gardeners’ Weekend and it got 12,000 visitors. Its popularity has dwindled since the BBC stopped supporting it in favour of Gardeners’ World at the NEC.

“Now the budget will be absorbed by the Artsfest event and we reckon the city centre location could attract a quarter of a million visitors.

“The gardeners groups are so far in favour because we are bringing them a bigger audience. They are also protected from the British weather.

“The council owns the Municipal Bank, nothing is likely to be built here for some time so why don’t we put it to use?”

Council officials say that the well-preserved building can be made ready at minimal cost, while floral trails and exhibits will be placed throughout the city centre to attract visitors. The giant gorilla garden, which won a prize at the Chelsea Flower Show, will be rebuilt outside.