A History of Council Housing in Wolverhampton

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Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   Text © Copyright March 2011, John M; licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence.
Images also under a similar Creative Commons Licence.


The 1920s - Homes for Heroes

SO9197 : Council Housing - Birmingham Road by John M SO9197 : Council Housing - The Square by John M Birmingham Road
SO9296 : Council Housing - Parkfield Crescent by John M SO9296 : Council Housing - Parkfield Road/Thompson Avenue by John M Parkfield/Thompson Avenue
SO8997 : Council Housing - Little Birches by John M SO8997 : Council Housing - Birches Barn Road by John M Birches Barn
SJ9101 : Council/Private Housing - Greenwood Avenue by John M Oxley
SO9099 : Council/Private Housing - Sweetman Street by John M Sweetman Street
SO8999 : Council/Private Housing - Court Road by John M SO8999 : Council/Private Housing - Gibbons Road by John M Newbridge
SO9298 : Council Housing - Colliery Road by John M SO9398 : Council Housing - St Giles Crescent off Old Heath Road by John M Old Heath
SJ9201 : Council Housing - Old Fallings Crescent by John M SJ9201 : Council Housing - Second Avenue by John M SJ9200 : Council Housing - Park Lane by John M SJ9200 : Council Housing - Park Lane by John M SJ9200 : Council Housing - Park Lane by John M SJ9200 : Council Housing - Park Lane by John M Low Hill
Shared Description used on 35 images
Council Housing in Wolverhampton -1920s by John M
A programme of council house building started after the Great War following on from the Lloyd George’s government’s Housing Act of 1919. The 'Addison Act' brought in susidies for council house building and aimed to provide 500,000 'homes for heroes' within a three year period although less than half of this target was met.



There was a shortage of housing land available within the borough and the first houses were built in 1919-20. The sites were at Green Lane (Birmingham Road), Birches Barn, Oxley and Parkfield Road (Thompson Avenue).



The Green Lane site was in All Saints on the edge of the town centre. Birches Barn in the south west of town was farmland on the town boundary with Tettenhall. Oxley Golf Course was purchased north of the town. The Parkfield Road Estate was built on a brownfield site formerly part of a colliery south of the town on the boundary with Bilston.

The first tenants moved into their properties in November 1919.



The housing built comprised three bedroom dwellings with parlour and scullery: larger properties also include a living room. The standards are based on the Tudor Walters Report of 1919 and the Design Manual.



By 1923 around 550 houses had been built on these estates. Further land was obtained on the Old Heath Colliery to the east of the town (Eastfield). The first houses on the site were completed in 1924.



In 1923 the 'Chamberlain Act' withdrew subsidies for council houses except for private builders and houses for sale. The council undertook to build houses and offer these for sale and also sold off some of their existing properties.



Further sites started including Gorsebrook Road, Sweetman Street and the Newbridge Estate west of the town. The developments reflected availability of small parcels of land. The houses built now included smaller two bedroom dwellings at Gorsebrook Road.



The 'Wheatley Act' of 1924 passed by the new Labour Government introduced higher subsidies for council housing and also allowed for a contribution to be made from the rates.



In 1924 the council bought the Showell Estate and the larger Low Hill and Bushbury Estates from the Low Hill-Bushbury Estate Company. These provided the land for the huge developments of 1925-1929 and completed the initial phase of building. By 1927 over 2000 dwellings had been built on the Bushbury-Low Hill estates making this one of the largest council estates in the country. Although there are a variety of external styles the dwelling type is almost entirely three bedroom properties with parlour and scullery.



SO9398 : Council Housing - St Giles Crescent off Old Heath Road by John M


KML

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