Talk on council housing in Newbury echoes Labour’s housebuilding drive today

Members of Newbury District Field Club heard a topical presentation this week on how Newbury ‘solved’ the housing crisis in the 20th century.

In a talk reminiscent of modern debates surrounding rapid homebuilding, local historian Jenni Collins gave a talk based on her MA thesis entitled ‘Civic Duty and Innovation: How Newbury Solved the Housing Problem, 1918-1930’.

She argued that Newbury ‘solved’ the housing problem through innovation and a combined effort by the Newbury Weekly News, councillors and townspeople.

“Newbury… is now in danger of rising suddenly into greater if temporary fame on having solved the housing problem,” this newspaper wrote in May 1920.

But Newbury had in fact already built 21 houses between 1910 and 1913.

After the First World War, there was a lack of suitable housing in Newbury after the war, Jenni explained.

Elsie Lilly Kimber – the first female mayor of Newbury – focused on slum clearance and public health in the town’s overcrowded courts and yards during her time as councillor.

The Housing, Town Planning &c. Act 1919 (or Addison Act) made it the duty of local councils to provide housing. The Government provided funding for costs over a penny in the pound on rates.

But why the sudden state intervention in the private housing market? Greater rental controls and fear of revolution, as had occurred in Russia, were partly responsible.

The act was also spurred by then Prime Minister Lloyd George’s promise for well designed ‘Homes for Heroes’.

Newbury Town Council responded to the Local Government Board in August 1917 that 40-50 houses were necessary for Newbury.

A total of 390 houses were built under the Addison Act in Newbury from 1919-1929 – trumping cities like Nottingham and Bristol (based on houses per 1,000 inhabitants).

Homes were built at St George’s Avenue, Essex Street, St Michael’s Road and Camp Close. Some still exist, while others are long gone.

The project was supervised by borough surveyor Samuel Vincent, who had remarked on poor housing conditions in Newbury since at least 1904, and overseen by councillor Davies, chair of the Housing Committee.

He used a direct labour model (wages paid directly to labourers) and prioritised employing men with families from Newbury.

He wrote in a letter to the NWN in January 1921: “If you all unite in giving first-class houses – none of those damned Ministerial dog kennels – at a reasonable cost, you will earn the gratitude of the nation and the assurance of a sound economic future.”

But it was not to be. Vincent was blamed for rising costs and financial mismanagement and was forced to resign in 1922.

Councillors F Arthur Greet and five-time mayor Frank Bazett were particularly critical of his housebuilding scheme.

By April 1921, both were on the Housing Committee and in November 1922, Bazett was elected chairman after Vincent’s resignation.

Greet would have profited personally from the scheme as a supplier. But there is no evidence that Greet would have profited more from contractor-led schemes.

Nor was Bazett a strong supporter of housing schemes. In his opening remarks on becoming chair, he summed up how the housing problem in Newbury had been handled thus far as: “First, houses for heroes; secondly, doubt and disillusionment; thirdly, sanity and common sense.”

The council’s priority then changed to contractor-led building and encouraged private builders to take up the subsidy (money granted by the state to help keep service prices low).

The Chamberlain Housing Act 1923 replaced the Addison Act and shifted focus back to private enterprise to build working-class houses, using subsidies as an incentive.

Local authorities could still build houses, but to a lesser standard than under the Addison Act.

It appeared ‘sanity and common sense’ influenced a notable amount of housebuilding going forward – albeit not to the same level or quality as the first scheme.

But once the committee recognised houses needed to be built, civic duty prevailed. Can the same be said today?

All West Berkshire Council-owned housing stock was transferred to Sovereign Housing Association (now Sovereign Network Group) in 1989, according to West Berkshire’s Housing Strategy (2020-2036).

'Affordable rented' housing in the district is also owned and managed by housing associations.