In the late 1930s the Holderness Rural District Council (s.p.b.s) made the progressive decision to match soon-to-be-built council housing with the types of families being re-homed, these 12 options ranging from one bedroomed bungalows, for single elderly persons or couples, to four bedroomed houses for large families. As a result by early 1938 three local builders had started work in five parishes and by July 186 houses were under construction. By November 1938 119 of these were tenanted, these in the parishes of Atwick, Brandesburton, Catwick, Sigglesthorne, Long Riston, Skirlaugh, Ellerby, Aldbrough, Flinton and Garton. By Christmas 1938 the R.D.C. were employing, on a temporary basis, unemployed men to plant privet and hawthorn young bushes around the new council houses.
However, by the spring of 1939 some new tenants were already falling behind with their rent and some were saying that they wish they were back in their ‘little cottages’.
In the autumn of 1939 all plans for future council houses across the country were cancelled on the orders of central government.
The above information raises a few general points. Usually, in the 1920s and’30s, tendered builders were likely to be charged penalties if the construction programme lasted more than six months,- despite the intervening 90+ years this is still true today. Also, the rents charged by local authorities for new council accommodation were generally based on commercial rents in the same area. Thus most new tenants were taking-on a higher financial commitment than they had had before, rent arrears became common. Thirdly, dissatisfaction often was expressed as the sites chosen for new housing was invariably on the outskirts of the town or village and thus often less convenient than the site had been of their ‘little cottages’.
The photo above shows the type of housing built (see later) and the typical location.
The house mentioned here can still be seen in the villages listed.