Twenty black and white negatives produced for the Department of the Environment Photographic Library showing exterior views of housing off Shaw Road, Everton including housing around Eastbourne Walk (now demolished) as well as three neighbouring high rise residential blocks on William Henry Street. The three identical blocks, Crosbie Heights, Canterbury Heights and Haigh Heights, soon became known as 'The Piggeries'. When built in 1966 they were earmarked for families. By the mid 1970s, the combination of poor design and building materials combined with vandalism meant that they had become severely dilapidated. Around this time some tenants went on a rent strike that would eventually reach the House of Lords. Lord Denning, the judge who ruled on the case, visited in 1977 and was appalled by the conditions he found there. The blocks were eventually demolished in the 1980s.
This group of negatives is one a series taken for the Department of the Environment under the title of "Difficult to Let Estates".
The Department of the Environment (along with its predecessor bodies the Ministry of Works and The Ministry of Public Building and Works) was the department responsible for government building projects and managing post war housing requirements.
Not all of the negatives have been catalogued in detail. Three have been crossed through with pen.
This is part of the Sub Series: PSA01/04/H Housing; within the Series: PSA01/04 Negatives; within the Collection: PSA01 Property Services Agency
© Crown copyright
Late 20th Century Council Housing Estate, Late 20th Century Tower Block, Late 20th Century Council Flats, Late 20th Century Council House
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