It was at the end of World War I that effective change was set in motion. During the 1920s and 1930s, successive Housing Acts made it easier for local authorities to clear 'slums' and, using Compulsory Purchase Orders to acquire unfit houses, to create areas of urban renewal.

At a global level, in September 1954, the 22nd Congress of the International Federation for Housing and Town Planning met in Edinburgh to discuss problems related to slum clearance, housing density and land use. 800 delegates from 25 countries attended. In summary, the post-World War II resumption of slum clearance in Britain, the US, Norway and the Netherlands was taking a more nuanced approach than wholesale destruction and rebuilding. This was in part because some older properties were likely to be of a better standard than modern replacements and their preservation and improvement, and that of their surroundings, should be encouraged.

By the early 1970s, much of Manchester's inner-city slum areas had been cleared, and the Council looked to its out-lying areas that were in need of attention. During this period, there was a local government re-organisation. Manchester Corporation became Manchester City Council as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, which came into force on 1st April, 1974. In this book, to prevent confusion, we use 'Manchester City Council' (or MCC) as the name of the local government throughout the period.

Overview

From 1955, Manchester City Council had been tackling its slum clearance target of an estimated 68,000 properties, working outwards from the city centre. By the late 1960s, there was an acceleration of the work with a view to completion by 1976.

The Council's Department of Health review in 1971 had several areas in its sights. Over 20,000 houses were thought to be in need of attention. Public meetings began in two pilot areas, Brailsford Road in Fallowfield (236 houses) and Lecester Road, Cheetham (298 houses) with the aim of encouraging families to invest in home improvements, aided by grants, and the provision of grassland, trees, garages and playgrounds by the MCC.

Several areas, including around Rink Street in Ladybarn (south Manchester) were assessed by the end of 1970 as being in danger of becoming slums within 30 years if nothing was done about some of the properties. To enable demolition and rebuilding, Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) were served in Ladybarn in early 1973.

Some people in the area were determined to preserve as much as possible of Ladybarn's 'atmosphere and social cohesion' and petitioned for a reappraisal. They felt that being designated a General Improvement Area, with a view to retaining and modernising the housing would be preferable. Not everyone agreed. Two petitions were created in favour of the Compulsory Purchase Orders. A Public Inquiry opened in Manchester Town Hall on 14th August 1973. About 50 protestors against the CPO scheme arrived in a double-decker bus, and a 'coffin', symbolising the demise of Ladybarn, was carried around Albert Square.

There were 9 days of deliberations, then a wait of 12 months before the decision was announced: of the 291 houses threatened with demolition, over 150 were to be saved. However, the remedial and redevelopment work took many years to be completed.

Why was Ladybarn special?

Before the redevelopment, Ladybarn was a tightly-knit community with some families having three generations within easy walking distance. As described in a letter by Dennis Letterborough in the Manchester Evening News, it had retained its original village character with its active church hall, its well-supported British Legion, its cosy pubs, and its small shops with personal service.

The 1969 Housing Act made provision for the modernisation of older housing stock, and this would be far more preferable than clearance and rebuilding, which would inevitably disperse the community as had happened elsewhere. Council officials were, in the first instance, to conduct a survey of around 350 properties towards the end of the following year, 1971.....

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF LADYBARN IN THE 1970S covering the plans for redevelopment, the protests and counter-protests, the individuals and organisations involved, and the results we see in Ladybarn today.

BOOK DETAILS

Contents

• Foreword
• A personal note
• Introduction
• Overview
• Sources
• Why was Ladybarn special?
• Local groups
• Dennis Letterborough
• Rink Street area clearance proposals
• 1973: The crucial year
• Compulsory Purchase Orders
• Other local preservation groups
• Voices in favour of demolition
• Damp
• The Public Inquiry
• After the Inquiry
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• Appendices