Durham E-Theses Condemned to die: housing action and social justice South West Durham 1949-1979 Snowdon, R. How to cite: Snowdon, R. (1979) Condemned to die: housing action and social justice South West Durham 1949-1979, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10107/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 " CONDEMNED TO DIE " HousliigAction and Social Justice, South ^st Durham 1949-1979 Ronald Snowdon Master of Arts University of Durham 3)efit cf l^cto/cau and dhciai jddmsnf^Ma/mi, ^tdif ^979. RONALD SNOVDON "CONDEMNED TO DIE " Housinn Action and Social Justice. South Vest Durham; 194Q-1979. The Thesis is a retrospective examination of housing action consequences and effectiveness in the Sishop AucklfUid Area, by the author who vas involved with the initiation and execution of repair, improvement,closure and demolition of houses in the private sector, carried out within the framework of Durham County Council's controversial Settlement Policy. The local, post-war, housing policy revolved around cherished concepts, that'a Development Plan would lead to the "Good Life"; slum clearance processes were designed to protect people from themselves; and relocating residents from outdated villages to modern semi-detached estates heralded a new beginning.. The irony of a working class political machine, over which the population had virtually no influence, imposing a policy which destroyed working class life styles is noted, together with the creation of a bitter and inflexible climate which nurtured an unintended but resolute opposition and resulted in a change of political control at local level. Focus is on Witton Park, the devastated archetype Categox-y 'D* village, a victim of prejudice and time seemingly forever to bear a slum label as a shrine to the County Development Plan. A comparison is made with the villages of Binchester, Escomb and Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange also affected by renewal policies. It is contended that undue attention was paid by bureaucracy to a distorted image of slum housing which resulted in extensive and excessive demolition with consequential individual and collective injustice; and that an almost exclusive over emphasis on physical aspects destroyed the territorial basis of community life, and ignored people and their aspirations. Direction altered, belatedly, in the late 1960s after nearly 2,300 houses had been demolished. The newer policy of gradual renewal rather than total clearance was influenced by political change, more enlightened attitudes and the availability of wider powers. A synopsis of relevant housing legislation from I868 to 1979 is provided by the Appendix. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Numbers List of iMaps ill List of Figures 111 List of Tables IV • V List of Diagrams vi + vii List of Photographs viii - X Table of Statutes XI * Xll Declaration and Statement of Copyright Xlll Preface Introduction - 26 Chapter 1 The County Redevelopment Plan. - 38 Chapter 3 Witton Park. 39 - 82 Chapter 3 Slum Housing. 83 - 129 Chapter 4 Mousing Action in the Bishop Auckland Area: Private Sector: 1949-1979. 1. Repair, Closure and Demolition. 2. House and Area Improvements. 130 - 185. Chapter 5 The Consequences, Justice and Effectiveness of Housing Action. 186 - 22<) Chapter 6 The Future. 230 - 250 Page Numbers Appendix - Local Authority Housing Powers: 251 - 28? Private Sector. A. Historical. 251 - 253 B. Contemporary. 1) Repair. 254 - 256 2) Individual Unfit Houses. 256 - 260 3) Slum Clearance. 260 - 261 4) Compulsory Purchase Orders. 261 - 264 5) Compensation: 264 - 268 a) Well-maintained Payments. 26? - 26? b) Home Loss Payments. 26? c) Disturbance Payments. 267 d) Costs. 267 - 268 6) Rehousing of Displaced Persons. 268 - 269 7) Rehabilitation of Unfit houses in confirmed Orders, 269 - 270 8) Grant-aided improvement and repair of dwellings. 270 - 274 9) Compulsory Improvement. 274 - 275 10) General Improvement Areas, 276 - 277 11) Housing Action Areas, 277 - 279 12) Priority Neighbourhoods, 279 13) Overcrowding. 280 - 281 288 - 298 Bibliography- Ill LIST OF MAPS Number Location Page No, 40 1. Witton Park and Escomb 2. Binchester 152 3. Villages in Dene Beck Valley: Eldon Lane Group. 154 LIST OF FIGURES Page No. Number Description 1. Ballot Paper for voting on proposal to rehouse Witton Park residents to St. Helen Auckland, under Slum Clearance Scheme, 1938. 55 2. Ballot Paper for voting on proposal to re-located Witton Park residents, 1954. 72 IV LIST OF TABLES Number TITIS Page No. 1. Political Control: 1949-1<570 Bishop Auckland UDC, l4 2. Composition of Bishop Auckland UDC. Election Years: 1949-1970. 15 3. Occupation and Political Affiliation of Councillors: 1949-1974. Bishop Auckland UDC. 16 4. Political Composition in the major Category 'D' Settlements: 1949-1970.. Bishop Auckland UDC. 19 5. Witton Park and Escomb Population, 1801-1871. 43 6. Witton Park: Properties Surveyed for Demolition. 57 7. Witton Park: House Ownerships, 58 8.. Witton Park: House Rents. 59 9, Witton Park: Tenure of Houses: a) Tenancy b) Owner Occupation 60 10, Witton Park: Households. 6I 11, Witton Park: Age and Sex Distribution. 62 12, Comparison of 'Social' Surveys; Witton Park and Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange. 63 13. Back-to-Back IVellings. Bishop Auckland U.D. 89 14. Statutory Enforcement of Repairs. 1949-1973. Bishop Auckland U.D. 132 15. Slum Clearance: 1949-1960. Bishop Auckland U.D. ^3/ 16. Number and Location of houses in Clearance Areas: 1949-1979. Bishop Auckland U.D. I38 17. Slum Clearance: 1949-1965. 141 Bishop Auckland U.D. 13. Slum Clearance: 1949-1979. Bishop Auckland U.D. Number TITLE Page No. 19* Representation of Unfit Houses. 1949-1979. Bishop Auckland U.D. l43 20. Representation of Unfit Houses. Witton Park: 1949-1979. 144 21. Representation of Unfit Houses. 1949-1979. Comparison between Escomb, Binchester, Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange and Witton Park. 146 22. Slum Clearance: 1949-1979. Bishop Auckland U.D. Category 'D' Settlements. 14? 23. Improvement Grant Approvals. 1949-1979. Bishop Auckland Area. 150 24. Houses subject to Demolition or Closing Orders, subsequently included in Clearance Areas.. 1957-1969. 190 25. Slum Clearance: 1955-1979. Bishop Auckland U.D. Objectors at Public Local Inquiries 198 26. Demolition at Witton Park. 1955-1979. 201 vi LIST OF DIAGRAMS Number Description Page Number 1,. Bishop Auckland in the Sub-Region: with Witton Park, Escomb, Binchester and Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange located. 2. The Administrative Divisions of County Durham, 1937 to 1st April 1974. Bishop Auckland U.D.. located. The Administrative Area of Wear Valley District, post 1st April 1974. 4. Slum Clearance Map, 1966, showing forty eight Back to back houses at West Auckland. 91 Slum Clearance Map, 1967i showing group of Back to back houses at Bishop Auckland. 94 6. Slum Clearance Map, 1970, showing extreme "bad arrangement" at West Auckland. 94 Slum Clearance Map, 1966, showing the A68 'route' to Ashclosets at West Auckland. 109 8. Witton Park Clearance; Demolition progress: 1949, 1959, I969 and 1979. 145 Environmental Improvement proposals at Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange, 1973. 160 10. Environmental Improvement proposals at Binchester, 1973• 161 11. Witton Park General Improvement Area proposals, 1973* 162 12. Woodside, Witton Park General Improvement Area proposals, 1973. 163 13. Housing Action Area, Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange, indicating extent of Wear Valley D.C. and Durham County Housing Association holdings, together with the areas of new development. 173 14. Bishop Auckland U.D.C. Number of Deaths due to Respiratory Diseases. 210 1949-1972 15. Binchester: Interim Village boundary for purposes of housing development. 1979 231 vii Number Description Page Number 16. Witton Park: Proposed interim boundaries for purposes of housing development, 1979. 233 17. Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange: New and proposed Council houses. Phases 1, 2, and 3. 1979 235 18. Eldon Lane/Coundon Grange. Proposed site for new housing development nearto Close House. 1979.- 236 19. Binchester: Proposed housing development and Environmental Improvements, 1977. 238 20,. Witton Park: Proposed housing development and environmental improvements,. 1977. 239 21. Axonometric drawing of proposed improvements to empty shops. Main Street, Witton Park, 1979. 242 22. Front elevation of proposed improvements to empty shops. Main Street, Witton Park, 1979. 243 23. A possible housing scheme for Witton Park, 244 1979. 24. Suggested housing layout and house types, Witton Park, 1979. 245 25. Suggested house types. 246 Witton Park, 1979. 26. Co. Durham Districts and Regional Development Status for Industry, 1978. 248 27. Small Industries. Pockets of Need in Co. Durham, 1978. 2«t9 viii LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Number Description Page No. 1. Main Street, Witton Park. (c. 1919) 4l 2. Primitive Methodist Chapel. Main Street, Witton Park. (c. 1920) 43 3. War Memorial Institute. Witton Park. (c. 1922) 48 4. Viaduct Bridge, Witton Park, 1979- 64 5. Low Thompson Street. The first post-war Clearance Area, Witton Park, 1956. 73 6. The overgrown sites of demolished houses at Witton Park. In the background, left, is the Salvation Army Citadel, 1979. 75 7. The Congregational Chapel. Witton Park, 1979. 76 8. Salvation Army Citadel, Witton Park, 1979.