Boosting Britain’s housing stock after the ravages wrought by bombing raids of the Second World War was not restricted to repairing, rebuilding or replacing what had been there before.

The New Towns Act of 1946 set out to produce new communities in areas of the country which had formerly only comprised villages or on what would today be described as green belt land. These created a modern, functional, 20th-century built environment, but where did this leave the idea of heritage?

These New Towns would possess only a limited or confined area of historic or traditional buildings, and, of course, while shared values and community spirit can be built relatively swiftly, only time can give a place a sense of history.

Nearly 75 years since the Act led to the establishment of these settlements, the architecture of the post-war period is starting to be appreciated and celebrated. Examples include the Grade II listed Church of Our Lady of Fatima, constructed in the New Town of Harlow in the 1950s and listed in 2000. The Church of St Andrew and St George in Stevenage, dating from the late 1950s, was Grade II listed in 1998.

The idea of creating a new settlement was not a new one. Early pioneers such as Ebenezer Howard, Raymond Unwin and Henrietta Barnett envisaged a planned community based on a philosophy of each element working together in harmony. The Garden City or Garden Suburb ideals were developed in the first half of the 20th century, resulting in Letchworth Garden City and Hampstead Garden Suburb amongst others.

Of course, even these planned communities were not the first of their kind. Port Sunlight, Bourneville and Saltaire were all constructed in the 19th century to cater to the needs of industry and manufacturing.

What made the post-WW2 communities different was that they were planned under the direct control of the state. The Government led the way in building towns which were made to meet the overspill from cities, and thus create new communities but with ease of access to jobs and services in the cities from which the new inhabitants would relocate.

The first New Town was Stevenage in Hertfordshire, followed by a further 10 towns by 1955. Five New Towns were built in Scotland and two in Wales. 

These earlier planned communities possess a high number of designated heritage assets. Port Sunlight Village is a Conservation Area containing over 900 listed buildings and Saltaire Village is a World Heritage Site. This suggests that, given time, ‘new’ settlements and developments are increasingly recognised for the contribution they make to the cultural and social life of the country. This bodes well for the built form of the ‘New Towns’.

Further information

Rebuilding Britain: how the end of WW2 marked the beginning of modern town planning

Rebuilding Britain: where old met new

Rebuilding Britain: the challenge for post-war town planners

Contact Savills Heritage Planning