Hartcliffe Betrayed 1944-1958 Outlines how the wartime optimism of garden city estates was betrayed as corners were cut and services dropped using the case study of a single estate. The presentation also outlines the conflicts surrounding everything from the naming of the estate to the location of the city boundary.

2. “Almost every big mistake which can be made in the design of a
housing estate was made at Hartcliffe”
Michael Jenner – Muddling Through Bristol in the Fifties
“This was the trouble in the beginning. Everybody sort of said
Hartcliffe and turned their noses up.”
Jean Carey – Looking back on Bristol, Hartcliffe People Remember
“It was beautiful though, it was like living in the middle of the country”
Pamela Winchester – Remembering Hartcliffe, The First Twenty Years

4. Wartime Planning
14th Sept 1943
“Your Committee desire to remind the council at the meeting on 12th
January last approval was given to the Committee’s Report on Post War
Housing. The report estimated that not less than 30,000 dwellings were
required, 18,000 of which were to meet the immediate shortage, 7,000 to
replace dwellings which are known at the present time, to be unfit for
human habitation and an estimated number of 5,000 to meet the future
normal increase in the number of families.”

5. Wartime Planning
19th July 1944
“The Town Clerk reported that in connection with their second year’s programme the
Housing Committee…had considered the provision of estates at… Dundry, which was
outside the City Boundary. He indicated the special difficulties involved in the construction
of roads, sewers and houses in the area of another authority.
The Town Clerk indicated that there appeared to be little prospect of promoting a Bill in
Parliament to extend the boundary otherwise than by agreement at the present time.
RESOLVED That the officers be authorised to discuss with the Somerset County Council
the question of an extension of the City boundary”

6. Wartime Planning
29th August 1945
“The Town Clerk reported that in connection with their second year’s programme the
Housing Committee…had considered the provision of estates at… Dundry, which was
outside the City Boundary. He indicated the special difficulties involved in the construction
of roads, sewers and houses in the area of another authority.
The Town Clerk indicated that there appeared to be little prospect of promoting a Bill in
Parliament to extend the boundary otherwise than by agreement at the present time.
RESOLVED That the officers be authorised to discuss with the Somerset County Council
the question of an extension of the City boundary”

7. Wartime Planning
When Bristol Rebuilds: Planning By
Neighbourhoods
One solution to the problem is to plan the city in self-
contained districts called “Neighbourhood Units”, each
with its own amenities, including a shopping centre,
clinic, schools and churches, cinema and recreation
grounds. Factories should be built in or near the
“Neighbourhood”.
(English City, The Story of Bristol, J.S. Fry & Sons Ltd,
January 1945)

8. The First
Hartcliffe
Plan
Jan 1950

9. Naming
the
Estate

10. Naming
the
Estate

11. Naming
the
Estate

12. Naming the Streets
April 1952
“In view of the country’s wide remembrance of the Battle of Britain, I
suggest that the streets on the new housing site on Dundry Slopes should
perpetuate the names of some of those airmen who took part. Can this be
arranged, or, alternatively will the suggestion receive the consideration it
deserves”

13. Naming the Streets

14. Drawing the Boundary – Bigger Picture
“At a meeting of the Council on 9th November 1946 [the Council submitted a report] upon the urgent need for an extension of the City Boundaries to
provide sites for the additional houses estimated to be required up to the year of 1971…the following areas should be brought within the city boundary
(a) The areas within the main ‘urban fence’ i.e. Patchway, Filton, Mangotsfield, Kingswood;
(b) parts of Warmley Rural District and of Thornbury Rural District;
(c) Long Ashton Village, Bishopsworth, Dundry and a considerable area of Long Ashton Rural District, including Ashton Park;
(d) Portishead;
(e) Whitchurch
In November 1947, the Chairman of the Local Government Boundary Commission …gave an informal explanation of the proposals which the
committeed had in mind regarding the City Boundaries.
a) That the following areas should be added to the City
Filton, Patchway, Kingswood Urban District, Mangotsfield Urban District, Parts of Whitchurch parish (but not Whitchurch village0, Parts of
Bishopsworth parish (but not Bishopsworth village)
b) (b) That Ham Green and parts of Portishead already within the City should revert to the Somerset County Council
Council Report Sept 1949

15. Drawing the Boundary
Special Joint Meeting of the Housing and Planning and Reconstruction Committee Feb 1949
“The Dundry Slopes Estate (which is almost entirely outside the city must therefore be
ready for use before the middle of 1950, if the Corporation is to maintain its present rate of
output of houses.
The City Council made a Compulsory Purchase Order on 13th April 1948 in respect of the
estate, but despite every effort by your officers it was not possible to get the site cleared by
the various Ministries and the date of the enquiry fixed earlier then the 11th January 1949.
The layout and drainage of the Dundry Slopes site has become a matter of greatest
urgency, particularly when it is remembered that the site is not within the city boundary and
the control of planning and co-ordination of the services is not vested in one body, namely
the City Council.”

16. Drawing the Boundary – 10 year fix
Special Joint Meeting of the Housing and Planning and Reconstruction Committee Feb 1949
“The position is further complicated by the fact that the powers of the
Boundary Commission are hampered by ….the Boundary Commission Act
1945…This provides that having altered the local authority area the
commission cannot make another alteration in the area for a period of ten
years…not only in the case of the Bristol-Somerset boundary but also
Bristol-Gloucestershire boundaries, and the Bristol-Bath boundaries.”

17. Drawing the Boundary – Divided
Services
“There are the strongest administrative
reasons why the boundaries should
include any new housing estates provided
by the City. The erection of housing
estates necessarily involves the provision
of public services.
The County Council will have to provide
either itself or through the Rural District
Council the following services:

18. Drawing the Boundary – Somerset
Dilemma
Letter from County Council 31st December 1948
“the County Council now find themselves in a very difficult position in that
they will have the responsibility of providing local government services for
the occupants of the houses which Bristol are proposing to build on the
Dundry Slopes. This undertaking will involve the County Council in vast
expenditure in respect of an area of the County which the Boundary
Commission have already indicated should be added to Bristol, and may
have the effect of disorganising the whole basis of County Council
administration”.

19. Drawing the Boundary – The Settlement
The City Council transferred the following to Somerset County Council
“i) such parts of Portishead and Ham Green as are within the City
ii) Clevedon Pier Head and that part of the foreshore of the Severn westward from Portishead Point”
The County Council & Rural District Councils transferred the following to Bristol City Council
“i) an area at Stockwood …
ii) The village of Bishopsworth and an area at Bishopsworth…
iii) The Dundry Slopes (excluding Dundry village) to an agreed boundary below the ridge
iv) Some 75 acres forming the lower portion of Ashton Park which is required by the education committee for school
purposes”
And Given this agreement
“The Ministry of Health indicated, in their opinion very much reduced the urgency of any City extension into
Gloucestershire”
Council Report 11th November 1949

20. Buying the Land
1949 – 1950
Whitehouse Farm & 106 acres £9,500
Two fields £800
341 acres £33,462
Pigeonhouse & Pottery Farms £32,825
Total £76,587

21. Summary Data
Housing 314 acres
Open Spaces 108.75 acres
Public Buildings 26.50 acres
Schools 90.75 acres
Total estimated number of dwellings 3,100
Schools 3 Junior Mixed
1 Senior school base with youth centre on same site
6 double nursery units
Other 3 churches, 6 public houses, Cinema, Library, Health Clinic, 3 Youth
clubs plus a scout hut and guide hut, Community Centre, Swimming Pool

22. Symes Avenue
Blue – Swimming Pool
Red – Cinema
Purple – Shops
Orange – Library
Jan 1950 Council Plan

24. Youth Services

25. Hartcliffe
School
Purple – School
Red – Youth Centre
Blue – Cricket Pavilion
Green - Cafe

26. Housing Standards
Bristol Evening Post 31st Oct 1945 Bristol Evening Post 4th June 1951

27. Road Access
Bristol Evening Post 4th July 1949
3rd May 1950
Access Road to Dundry Slopes Housing
Estate. Inner Ring Road (Airport Road) from
Parsons Street to Crox Top
“Resolved –. That in the circumstances the
council be recommended to accept the Ministry’s
offer of a Class III classification and 50% grant
towards the cost of constructing the length of the
road from Parson Street to Crox Top, but to
inform the Ministry that such acceptance has
been decided upon only because the Council will
not accept responsibility for the delays in the
provision of homes on the Dundry Slopes which
would otherwise ensue.”

28. Stream Buried
Bristol Evening Post 27th March 1950

29. The Cost of a House
180 Cornish Homes Feb 1953 £259,590 7s 6d £1,442 per house
48 Traditional Homes Oct 1952 £71,029 1s 4d £1,480 per house
172 Laing Easiform Dec 1951 £249,796 6s 8d £1,452 per house

30. The Cost of a School
Hartcliffe Primary A (Whitehouse) Nov 1951 £54,950
Hartcliffe Primary B (Hareclive) Dec 1951 £132,218
Hartcliffe Primary C (Teyfant) Apr 1957 £163,920
Hartcliffe Secondary Apr 1957 £426,130

31. The Cost of a Pub
Gatcombe Road 0.2 acres £210 per annum
Fulford Road 0.25 acres £210 per annum
Peterson Square 0.33 acres £210 per annum
Barbour Road 0.33 acres £210 per annum
99 year lease
(source BCC 13th Nov 1956)

32. This Community Centre
12th Feb 1957
1. 0.5 of an acre
2. Lease the land to the Association for a period of 14 years at a nominal rental of £1 per
annum
3. Transfer £1,075
“The opening of the first hall was in 1960 by Sir Philip Morris. It cost £4,000 with a debt of £360
still owing on opening. The main hall, stage, dressing rooms, present main entrance and boiler
house opened much later in 1968.” Dennis Street

33. The Pioneers
“In a way the move was very exciting. You had everybody in the road moving in about the
same week. There was this wonderful community spirit” Jean Carey
“We had a nice piece of mud. No street lamps, no gate posts” Sheila Horton
“The first contract to be completed was Coleshill Drive, closely followed by the flats in
Hareclive Road. For the next three years families moved in their hundreds into Hartcliffe,
and the one topic of conversation everywhere was ‘Mud,Mud, horrible Mud’!!” Mr
Steadman
“It was the greatest mistake the Corporation ever done when they just built the houses, no
roads and no facilities at all. There was no church, no shops” Jean Carey

34. The First Protest
Housing (Viewing) Sub Committee 12th October 1953
“The Housing Mgr submitted a petition from tenants of homes in the vicinity of
Coleshill Drive complaining about the condition of the roads and footpaths on the
estate and refusing to pay any increase in rent until roads and footpaths were put
into proper condition. The City Engineer informed the sub cttee that arrangements
had recently been made for temporary gravel footpaths to be laid soon after each
group of houses was completed, but the footpath or the roads could not be finally
made up until there was sufficient work to ensure continuity for the contractors. It
was pointed out to the subcommittee that although the foundations of the
permanent footpaths in the front of the completed houses, the tenants would still
have to negotiate portions of the road where building was still in progress.”