Estates of Prefabricated housing sprung up after the war to accomodate the homeless and a program of slum clearance. Designed for a 5 / 10 Year life these are at Foxholes and in perfect working order.
Typically such a house had an entrance hall, two bedrooms (parents and children), a bathroom (a room with a bath) — which was a novelty for many British at that time, a separate toilet, a living room and an equipped (not fitted in the modern sense) kitchen. They also included a hot water system with a back boiler open fire. Construction materials included steel, aluminium, timber or asbestos, depending on the type of dwelling. The aluminium Type B2 prefab was produced as four pre-assembled sections which could be transported by lorry anywhere in the country
The Burt Committee was established in 1942 as a interdepartmental Committee to act on housing shortages caused by wartime damage. This resulted (eventually) in the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act 1944 the responsibility of the Ministry of Reconstruction.. Whole estates of prefabs were constructed to provide accommodation for those made homeless by the War and ongoing slum clearance Almost 160,000 had been built in the UK by 1948 at a cost of close to £216 million. Reports of the time show the costs of buildings rose £914 to £1,365 between 1945 to 1947.
It must be remembered that between 1939 and 1945 enemy action destroyed about 200,000, made unhabitable some 250,000 and severely damaged a much larger number.
This is Paul at work in the House of Commons Tuesday March 4th 2008 listening to the Minister answer a question about Transport in the Greater Manchester Area.
