Letter from Wiltshire County Planning Officer to Ministry of Town and County Planning; 1948

Letter dated 9th October 1948 from The County Planning Officer at Wiltshire County Council to the Regional Controller of Town and County Planning for the SW. The letter records that Swindon Council had been planning to convert the military encampment at Lydiard Park into temporary housing for over a year and that plans were drawn up and permissions in place. The Planning Officer goes on to say:

"I understand that the buildings at the camp are in a very bad condition and that even when improvement works are carried out, it is unlikely that they will be used as dwellings for longer than ten years."

Ten years was the lifespan envisaged by Swindon Council, helping them to address the immediate local housing crisis and allowing time for the construction of new permanent council housing stock in Swindon and Wiltshire.