Wolverhampton: crumbling post-war bungalows at Lincoln Green Estate in Bushbury to be demolished

The move would see 99 two-and-three-bed bungalows replace 75-year-old aging and crumbling pre-fabricated bungalows at the Lincoln Green Estate in Bushbury, Wolverhampton.

The estate was effectively ‘written off’ last year, with all of the old bungalows declared “defective” because of a mounting list of issues, including buckling walls, leaking and poorly insulated roofs, very poor thermal efficiency, and wet rot in the floor.

City of Wolverhampton Council said the bungalows had “exceeded [their] expected lifespan… far beyond their initial 10 to 15 years” and would be demolished.

The post-war pre-fabs were built as a ‘quick’ and ‘temporary’ solution in the 1940s and 1950s to the country’s mounting housing crisis following the Second World War.

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The new bungalows would be built in Alleston Road, Grosvenor Road, Lincoln Green and School Lane, and in the Wood End and Portobello areas in two phases.

City of Wolverhampton Council said six tenants had been relocated with the remaining bungalows sitting empty when the plans were submitted in March last year.

Councillor Steve Evans, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for city housing, said: “The non-traditional built properties are in such poor structural condition that they can no longer be economically and satisfactorily maintained.

“For the safety and comfort of our residents, we are delivering better homes in the long term that they can make their own in the same location.

“We will continue talking with all those affected and have engaged with all tenants, who are relishing the prospect of moving into brand new homes. They understand the absolute necessity of removing these outdated bungalows and replacing them with modern homes.

“It is a key priority of our council plan to ensure we provide good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods for all our residents.”