Council Housing

by Chas Townley 5 May 2021 9:58 AM

I’m doing some research on Council Housing constructed before the Great War and it transpires that the second place in Gloucestershire was Mickleton. Trouble is not sure where in the Village this is.

But first perhaps useful if I tell you what I have found out so far

There are articles in the press covering the story – one on 10 December 1910 in the Cheltenham Chronicle which reports that at last there is “definite move towards providing the much needed housing accommodation at Mickleton. ,,,, But Mickleton people were persistent in their demand, and their representative on the Rural Council (Mr Coldicott) threatened to appeal to the Local Government Board if the Council refused to do what was asked of them.” At the time the Rural District Council was Campden but as it shared staff with the Poor Law Union it was based at Shipston upon Stour.

There was a further report in the Chronicle on 25 March 1911 which details that the proposal was for four cottages and they were seeking permission to borrow £600 (which required Government permission) but it transpired that some of the details did not satisfy the inspector. The result was that a different site was selected but by September 1911 they were amending the tender with the contractor Mr G E Adams of Shipston on Stour. A report in the Evesham Standard on 18 May 1912 stated that all the properties were now occupied.

Looking at the 1921 25″ mile map shows 4 terraced properties with gardens in Back Lane, however, as it transpires these are owned by the J M Dixon Charity it is probable these are not the the council houses built in 1912.

The next possibility was the first houses on the right handside of Granbrook Lane (2,4,6 and 8) It became apparent that the street numbering of the council houses was changed sometime in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s so I searched through the electoral registers to identify when they became occupied by electors I came across an entry in the register for a property described as Council Houses Back Lane (James and Kate Tracy and a second entry Hilda Gertrude Harris both 1939). Which raises the interesting question whether the original houses were constructed on Back Lane.

1 reply