The York Research Database

Using the example of the Woodberry Down estate in Stoke Newington, this article explores the often contradictory housing policy of the Labour-controlled London County Council (LCC) from the 1930s to the 1960s. The LCC's previous involvement in social housing is evaluated and the controversy surrounding the adoption of the flatted estate as the principal form of LCC accommodation in the capital is discussed. The early resistance by Stoke Newington Borough Council and local residents to the planned development in the late 1930s, the modification and adaptation of the estate's design in the 1940s and 1950s, and Woodberry Down's distinctive social provision are dealt with in the account of the estate's history. The article then considers how successful the LCC was in establishing a genuine community among the residents and concludes by addressing the obstacles to social cohesion that London's economy and geography imposed.