We have been celebrating the centenary of Council housing in the UK. Large scale Council house building was a result of the Addison Act, which was passed into law on 31st July 1919.
To mark this special anniversary, NPH organised an event starting at Cottarville where homes were first let in 1919 and moved on to a brand-new development in Duston.
Andrew Lewer MP planted a tree at Cottarville to commemorate the centenary before a quick dash to Duston to cut the ribbon on five new homes!
Since NPH was set up to manage and build Council homes Northampton, they have built 147 new homes and 124 more will be completed by 2020. Mike Kay, NPH chief executive spoke of his commitment to providing homes for future generations: “With recent developments in the housing sector, such as the widely publicised removal of the Council’s borrowing cap, we can really push ourselves to build more homes for local people. We’re excited about the future and so pleased to have the chance to celebrate the importance of Council housing 100 years on.”
In addition to today’s event, NPH renamed a new development of family apartments that was opened earlier this month Centenary House, to acknowledge 100 years of Council housing. They are also looking forward to judging a competition for local schools in which children drew their vision for a home 100 years in the future. Some amazing designs have already been submitted and there will be a prize-giving in September.