(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/86
Image Reference:0042
SECRET
C . ( 5 7 ) 92
COPY NO.
t)(
8 t h A p r i l , 1957
CABINET
HOUSING P O L I C Y :
MANCHESTER
M e m o r a n d u m b y t h e M i n i s t e r of H o u s i n g a n d Local Government The Cabinet decided last D e c e m b e r that Manchester Corporation
should not be allowed to p r o c e e d with t h e i r p r o p o s a l to build a t L y m m in
C h e s h i r e , a n d i n v i t e d m y p r e d e c e s s o r t o c i r c u l a t e t h e t e x t of h i s a n n o u n c e ­
m e n t of t h i s d e c i s i o n ( C M . ( 5 6 ) 1 0 0 t h C o n c l u s i o n s , M i n u t e 3 ) .
2.
The Government changes then took place; and Manchester asked m e ,
a s coming new to the m a t t e r , to r e c e i v e a deputation and h e a r their c a s e at
first hand.
Having h e a r d and studied it, I a m in no doubt that I m u s t a s k
m y colleagues to consider the m a t t e r again.
I h a v e t o l d t h e M i n i s t e r of
A g r i c u l t u r e of m y i n t e n t i o n t o d o s o .
3.
I was present, a s Financial Secretary, when the Cabinet discussed
this question before.
What, I think, i m p r e s s e d m y c o l l e a g u e s m o s t , a s
i t c e r t a i n l y i m p r e s s e d m e , w a s t h e s u g g e s t i o n t h a t M a n c h e s t e r c o u l d , if
t h e y t r i e d , s e c u r e t h e b u i l d i n g of 1 8 , 0 0 0 h o u s e s f r o m 1961 o n w a r d s , a n d t h a t
t h e r e f o r e e v e n a s s u m i n g t h e d e s i r e d a n d r e a s o n a b l e r a t e of 3 , 0 0 0 h o u s e s a
y e a r , t h e r e w o u l d b e e n o u g h l a n d t o l a s t s i x y e a r s , i . e . f r o m 1961 t o 1 9 6 7 .
If t h i s w e r e s o , a d e c i s i o n a b o u t L y m m c o u l d s a f e l y b e l e f t o v e r f o r t w o
or t h r e e y e a r s : and so theCabinet decided.
4.
But after going fully into t h e p r o b l e m I a m bound t o t e l l t h e C a b i n e t
t h a t t h e s e f i g u r e s do not give a r e a l i s t i c p i c t u r e .
T h e e v i d e n c e for t h i s is
s e t out in t h e A n n e x to t h i s m e m o r a n d u m .
B r i e f l y , i t i s t h a t s o m e of t h e
s i t e s i n c l u d e d in t h e t h e o r e t i c a l 18,000 will n o t in fact m a t e r i a l i s e b y
1 9 6 7 , a n d t h a t , f o r m a n y of t h e o t h e r s , t h e t i m i n g of t h e i r a v a i l a b i l i t y i s
quite u n c e r t a i n and not within M a n c h e s t e r ' s c o n t r o l .
Therefore these
s i t e s cannot p o s s i b l y , by t h e m s e l v e s , afford sufficient continuity for a
s t e a d y b u i l d i n g p r o g r a m m e of a n y t h i n g l i k e 3 , 0 0 0 h o u s e s a y e a r : a n d
without such a p r o g r a m m e M a n c h e s t e r cannot effectively set itself to tackle
i t s e n o r m o u s p r o b l e m of 6 8 , 0 0 0 s l u m h o u s e s .
5.
It w a s a r g u e d i n C a b i n e t t h a t M a n c h e s t e r c o u l d h o u s e m a n y m o r e
people within t h e i r own b o u n d a r i e s by building tall flats a n d a c h i e v i n g a
higher density; indeed, at the time a s Financial Secretary I r e m e m b e r
supporting that suggestion myself.
But now that I have been able to go
i n t o it t h o r o u g h l y I find t h a t t h a t a r g u m e n t c a n n o t b e s u s t a i n e d .
Manchester
by t h e i r own m e t h o d s (which provide for exceptionally little public open
s p a c e ) a r e achieving a d e n s i t y a s high a s L o n d o n a c h i e v e s , in c o m p a r a b l e
a r e a s of r e - d e v e l o p m e n t , w i t h t a l l f l a t s : a n d t h a t i s v e r y h i g h .
c
6.
W h e n t h e m a t t e r w a s c o n s i d e r e d by t h e C a b i n e t it w a s s u g g e s t e d
t h a t t o g i v e M a n c h e s t e r a n y h o p e of g e t t i n g L y m m w o u l d w e a k e n t h e i r
incentive to seek other solutions.
I cannot advise the Cabinet that t h e r e is
a n y t h i n g i n t h i s l i n e of t h o u g h t .
I have studied the facts, and since the
e a r l i e r i n q u i r y into t h e i r a p p l i c a t i o n for d e v e l o p m e n t a t JLymm a n d
Mobberley, Manchester have m a d e a m o s t determined and exhaustive
a t t e m p t to find a l t e r n a t i v e s .
Their needs a r e so great that they a r e
willing and a n x i o u s to u s e to the full, in addition t o L y m m , a l l the s i t e s
which a r e at all suitable.
The sites which they have rejected have been
r e j e c t e d f o r g o o d r e a s o n s ( d e t a i l s of t h e l a r g e r s i t e s a r e g i v e n i n P a r t II
of t h e A n n e x ) .
7.
I a m s u r e t h a t a l l w o u l d a g r e e t h a t M a n c h e s t e r , i n v i e w of t h e i r
a p p a l l i n g s l u m p r o b l e m , s h o u l d b e b u i l d i n g h o u s e s t o t h e f u l l e x t e n t of
their capacity.
They a r e far below this; and I believe that they have
n o c h a n c e of d o i n g i t u n l e s s t h e y h a v e o n e l a r g e s c h e m e , w h o l l y u n d e r
t h e i r own c o n t r o l , on w h i c h t h e y c a n count t o p r o d u c e s e v e r a l h u n d r e d
h o u s e s a y e a r , in addition to ail t h e o t h e r s c h e m e s and w h e t h e r or not t h e s e
o t h e r s i t e s m a t e r i a l i s e on t i m e .
8.
I f e e l t h a t in t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s I m u s t a s k t h e C a b i n e t t o r e c o n s i d e r
t h e i r "conclusion.
I f u l l y r e a l i s e h o w d i f f i c u l t t h i s i s f o r t h e M i n i s t e r of
A g r i c u l t u r e , a n d I d o n o t a s k a d e c i s i o n n o w i n f a v o u r of t h e L y m m s c h e m e .
W h a t I a s k i s t h a t M a n c h e s t e r s h o u l d b e g r a n t e d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y of p u t t i n g
t h e i r c a s e f o r b u i l d i n g a t L y m m o r e l s e w h e r e a t a p u b l i c i n q u i r y , a n d of
seeing how far they can e s t a b l i s h , under c r o s s - e x a m i n a t i o n , that without
this their housing problem is insoluble.
I ask that the Cabinet should not
c o m e to a decision until t h i s inquiry h a s been held.
I should add that
a t t h e m o m e n t t h e r e i s a c o m p l e t e d e a d l o c k of o p i n i o n b e t w e e n M a n c h e s t e r ,
which holds that its case is unassailable, and its opponents who maintain
w i t h e q u a l v e h e m e n c e t h a t it w i l l n o t s t a n d u p t o e x a m i n a t i o n .
9.
I do not h a v e in m i n d a n a r r o w i n q u i r y c o n c e n t r a t e d s o l e l y on L y m m .
I c o n t e m p l a t e t h a t a t t h e i n q u i r y t h e w h o l e q u e s t i o n of M a n c h e s t e r ' s h o u s i n g
and o v e r s p i l l p r o b l e m should be d i s c u s s e d on the b r o a d e s t p o s s i b l e b a s i s .
T h i s would c o v e r not only t h e L y m m p r o p o s a l but e v e r y a l t e r n a t i v e p r o p o s a l
that anyone could s u g g e s t .
10.
I n v i e w of t h e g r e a t p u b l i c i n t e r e s t i n t h e s e q u e s t i o n s , of t h e s h a r p
c o n t r o v e r s y t h e y a r o u s e , a n d of t h e c l a s h b e t w e e n h o u s i n g a n d f a r m i n g
w h i c h t h e y e x e m p l i f y , I b e l i e v e t h a t it m i g h t b e h e l p f u l a n d I a c c e p t t h a t
it w o u l d b e r i g h t i n t h i s c a s e t o a r r a n g e f o r t h e i n q u i r y t o b e h e l d n o t b y a n
o f f i c i a l of m y D e p a r t m e n t b u t b y a n " i n d e p e n d e n t " i n s p e c t o r .
And I should
b e w i l l i n g , if t h e C a b i n e t t h o u g h t f i t , f o r h i s r e p o r t t o b e p u b l i s h e d .
I
r e a l i s e that that m a y m a k e a n a w k w a r d p r e c e d e n t , for t h i s (unlike t h e
Oxford r o a d s c a s e ) will o r i g i n a t e in a n o r d i n a r y planning a p p l i c a t i o n .
But
I think that the Manchester case can be differentiated from the general run
of c a s e s b e c a u s e i t g o e s s o m u c h w i d e r , a n d b e c a u s e t h e f i n a l d e c i s i o n ,
w h a t e v e r it i 3 j w i l l n o t b e a c c e p t a b l e t o l o c a l o p i n i o n , w h e t h e r i n s i d e o r
outside M a n c h e s t e r , unless the facts a r e clearly and publicly set out, and
i n a d o c u m e n t w h i c h c a n n o t b e a c c u s e d of b i a s .
11.
On t h i s plan I would i n s t r u c t t h e i n s p e c t o r s i m p l y to h e a r a n d t o
weigh the evidence.
I would tell him that he was not r e q u i r e d to m a k e a
r e c o m m e n d a t i o n , since that m u s t finally depend on G o v e r n m e n t policy
b e t w e e n t h e c o n f l i c t i n g c l a i m s of h o u s i n g a n d a g r i c u l t u r e , a s h e m i g h t f i n d
e a c h of t h e m t o b e e s t a b l i s h e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e g i v e n a t t h e i n q u i r y .
12.
After the inquiry I would consult the Cabinet again.
I should
m a k e i t c l e a r t o M a n c h e s t e r b e y o n d d o u b t t h a t t h e h o l d i n g of a p u b l i c
i n q u i r y m u s t n o t b e t a k e n a s c a r r y i n g a n y i m p l i c a t i o n w h a t e v e r of a
favourable Government decision.
13.
I a s k m y colleagues to a g r e e : ­
( a ) t h a t n o f i n a l d e c i s i o n s h o u l d b e t a k e n f o r o r a g a i n s t
d e v e l o p m e n t at L y m m for t h e t i m e being; but
( b ) t h a t M a n c h e s t e r , i n v i e w of t h e i r e n o r m o u s l y
difficult housing p r o b l e m , should b e given a n
o p p o r t u n i t y of m a k i n g t h e i r c a s e f o r b u i l d i n g
o n a l a r g e s i t e of t h e i r o v / n , a t L y m m o r e l s e ­
w h e r e , at a public i n q u i r y on the lines s u g g e s t e d
i n p a r a g r a p h s 8-11 a b o v e .
H.B.
M i n i s t r y of H o u s i n g a n d L o c a l
G o v e r n m e n t , S. W , l .
8th A p r i l , 1957.
ANNEX
H o u s i n g S i t e s for M a n c h e s t e r , 1961-71
Fart I
When t h e C a b i n e t d i s c u s s e d t h i s q u e s t i o n , it w a s s u g g e s t e d t h a t ,
w i t h o u t L y m m , M a n c h e s t e r w o u l d h a v e a v a i l a b l e i n t h e p e r i o d 1961 t o 1971
land for a b o u t 18,000 h o u s e s , a n d t h a t t h i s should e n a b l e t h e m t o build a t
3 , 0 0 0 h o u s e s a y e a r f r o m 1961 t o 1 9 6 7 .
2.
T h e f i g u r e of 1 8 , 0 0 0 w a s m a d e u p a s
follows:­
(a)
7,500 in v a r i o u s a r e a s outside
(b)
4,500 at
(c)
6,000 on c l e a r e d s i t e s i n s i d e
Manchester;
Macclesfield;
Manchester.
T h e s e f i g u r e s a r e t a k e n f r o m t h e r e p o r t a t t a c h e d t o C . P . ( 5 6 ) 2 8 0 .
3.
T h e r e i s n o c h a n c e of M a n c h e s t e r b e i n g a b l e t o b u i l d a n y t h i n g
like 18,000 h o u s e s on t h i s land by 1967.
The r e a s o n s a r e as follows:­
(a)
T h e s i t e s for the 7,500 h o u s e s a r e t h o s e w h i c h M a n c h e s t e r
h a v e f o u n d o r h a v e b e e n o f f e r e d w i t h i n d a i l y t r a v e l l i n g d i s t a n c e of t h e
C i t y . ( T h e y h a v e a l s o f o u n d a n u m b e r of o t h e r s u c h s i t e s , w h i c h t h e y a r e
u s i n g b e t w e e n n o w and 1961.)
M o s t of t h e s e s i t e s s h o u l d m a t e r a l i s e s o o n e r
or later.
It i s t h e t i m i n g w h i c h i s q u i t e u n c e r t a i n .
T h e s i t e s a r e in
eight different county d i s t r i c t s , s p r e a d over C h e s h i r e , D e r b y s h i r e and
L a n c a s h i r e ; in e a c h c a s e e x t e n s i v e n e w s e w e r a g e w o r k s h a v e to be c a r r i e d
out by t h e d i s t r i c t c o u n c i l s , s m a l l a u t h o r i t i e s with no e n t h u s i a s m for
receiving overspill.
E x p e r i e n c e with the sites to be used by M a n c h e s t e r
b e f o r e 1961 h a s s h o w n t h a t s m a l l a u t h o r i t i e s of t h i s t y p e s i m p l y c a n n o t b e
r e l i e d on t o p r o v i d e m a i n s e r v i c e s o n t i m e .
(b)
4,500 h o u s e s at M a c c i e s f i e l d is the figure s u g g e s t e d by C h e s h i r e
and accepted by M a n c h e s t e r .
Macclesfield for a long t i m e refused to
a c c e p t a n y o v e r s p i l l at a l l .
T h e y n o w s h o w s i g n s of a g r e e i n g t o a s c h e m e
of a b o u t 1,000 h o u s e s .
T h e y m a y i n s i s t on building t h e h o u s e s t h e m s e l v e s ,
o v e r a p e r i o d of f o u r o r f i v e y e a r s .
M a c c l e s f i e l d m i g h t in t h e end a g r e e to t h e whole 4,500 t h o u g h
this does not s e e m likely at p r e s e n t ; or M a n c h e s t e r might decide to
p r o c e e d i n t h e f a c e of t h e b o r o u g h c o u n c i l s o p p o s i t i o n .
But Manchester
c l e a r l y c a n n o t c o u n t on g e t t i n g 4 , 5 0 0 h o u s e s h e r e b y a n y p a r t i c u l a r d a t e .
Extensive new w o r k s both for s e w e r a g e and w a t e r supply will be n e e d e d .
(c)
6 , 0 0 0 i s t h e n u m b e r of h o u s e s w h i c h M a n c h e s t e r e s t i m a t e t h e y
could build inside the City.
T h e r e a r e two points to be noted about this
e s t i m a t e : f i r s t , t h a t i t c o v e r s t h e t e n y e a r s , 1961 t o 1 9 7 1 ; s e c o n d , t h a t i t
cannot be achieved unless sufficient overspill sites a r e available to enable
re-housing to take place at the requisite speed.
T h e s e 6,000 h o u s e s will h a v e to be built on s i t e s now occupied by
s l u m s , which will first have to be demolished and the occupants moved to
new h o u s e s .
T h e s e new h o u s e s c a n be built only o u t s i d e the City, in the
a r e a s d e a l t w i t h u n d e r (a) a n d (b) a b o v e .
But with t h e s e a r e a s alone at
their d i s p o s a l , and with t h e u n c e r t a i n t y about t i m i n g , M a n c h e s t e r will not
be a b l e to build fast enough to s u s t a i n a s l u m c l e a r a n c e p r o g r a m m e on t h e
s c a l e t h a t i s n e c e s s a r y if t h e y a r e t o r e b u i l d o n t h e c l e a r e d s i t e s a t
600 h o u s e s a y e a r .
Still l e s s c o u l d t h e y c o m p r e s s t h e w h o l e 6,000 h o u s e s
into the f i r s t six y e a r s , w h i c h would m e a n building on c l e a r e d s i t e s a t
t h e r a t e of 1,000 h o u s e s a y e a r .
B y n o m e a n s a l l of M a n c h e s t e r ' s n e w
h o u s e s c a n be a l l o t t e d to people f r o m c l e a r e d s l u m s .
Every year some
750 h o u s e s in t h e City have t o b e d e m o l i s h e d a s d a n g e r o u s s t r u c t u r e s ,
and the occupants r e h o u s e d .
P a r t II
4.
Other p l a c e s which have been suggested for l a r g e - s c a l e s c h e m e s
for M a n c h e s t e r o v e r s p i l l a r e C r e w e , L e y l a n d , C h o r l e y , Congleton and
Sandbach.
These a r e discussed below.
Crewe,Leyland and
Chorley
T h e s e t o w n s a r e t o o far f r o m M a n c h e s t e r for people to be likely
to t r a v e l d a i l y into M a n c h e s t e r for t h e i r w o r k .
It f o l l o w s t h a t , if a n
overspill s c h e m e is to succeed, industry m u s t m o v e a s well a s population.
M o r e o v e r , t h e i n d u s t r y should c o m e f r o m M a n c h e s t e r ; to s e n d out p o p u l a ­
tion without i n d u s t r y would not help, s i n c e the e m i g r a t i n g population would
be likely to be r e p l a c e d by a f r e s h influx.
These towns, however, have
n o i n d u s t r i a l a f f i n i t y w i t h M a n c h e s t e r , a n d b o t h t h e B o a r d of T r a d e a n d
M a n c h e s t e r C o r p o r a t i o n t h i n k it u n l i k e l y t h a t M a n c h e s t e r i n d u s t r y c o u l d b e
induced to go t h e r e .
M a n c h e s t e r a r e accordingly unwilling t h e m s e l v e s to
build houses at t h e s e p l a c e s .
They a r e p r e p a r e d to encourage Manchester
people to move to any houses which the local authorities t h e r e m a y provide,
a n d t o c o n t r i b u t e t o w a r d s t h e c o s t of a n y h o u s e o c c u p i e d t h e r e b y a
Manchester family.
B u t b e c a u s e of t h e d i f f i c u l t y of a t t r a c t i n g M a n c h e s t e r
i n d u s t r y , it i s u n l i k e l y t h a t b u i l d i n g b y t h e l o c a l a u t h o r i t y w o u l d m a k e a n y
s e r i o u s i m p a c t on the p r o b l e m .
Congleton
H e r e too industry would be needed a s well a s population.
But
C o n g l e t o n , m a i n l y b e c a u s e of i t s p o o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , i s s t i l l l e s s l i k e l y
to attract Manchester industry than the towns mentioned above.
Moreover,
Congleton m u s t at p r e s e n t be ruled out, since extensive new building would
s e r i o u s l y i n t e r f e r e w i t h t h e o p e r a t i o n of t h e J o d r e l l B a n k r a d i o t e l e s c o p e ,
oh w h i c h m u c h G o v e r n m e n t m o n e y i s b e i n g s p e n t .
Sandbach
E x t e n s i v e b u i l d i n g h e r e m u s t b e r u l e d o u t b e c a u s e of s a l t
subsidence.
F a r t III
5.
A p a r t f r o m the s i t e s w h i c h M a n c h e s t e r h a v e a l r e a d y found t h e r e
is no m o r e land available to t h e m for s o m e m i l e s beyond the City
boundaries.
To the n o r t h and n o r t h - w e s t , the a r e a is l a r g e l y built up a s
far a s Eolton, B u r y , Rochdale and beyond.
Such unbuilt on land a s e x i s t s
i s r e q u i r e d e i t h e r f o r l o c a l h o u s i n g n e e d s o r f o r o p e n s p a c e a s p a r t of t h e
L a n c a s h i r e County C o u n c i l s g r e e n belt p r o p o s a l s .
To the east,
c o n d i t i o n s a r e m u c h t h e s a m e a s f a r a s t h e f o o t h i l l s of t h e P e n n i n e s .
To
the south, open c o u n t r y is r e a c h e d m o r e q u i c k l y , but t h i s i s the C h e s h i r e
g r e e n belt, and the conurbation should not be allowed to s p r e a d t h e r e .
F u r t h e r out t h e r e is t h e C h e s h i r e s a l t field, w h e r e t h e land is u n s u i t a b l e
f o r b u i l d i n g b e c a u s e of s u b s i d e n c e .
Due west the built-up a r e a extends
through Salford and Stretford to the L a n c a s h i r e m o s s l a n d s , which a r e too
unstable for building.