100 years of council housing
Last updated: 26 October 2012 14:52 UKWe celebrated 100 years since the very first council housing was built in Curzon Howe Road, Portsea, on 24 October 2012.
Back in 1912, council officials unveiled a plaque commemorating the opening of the houses. The large modern properties were built on the site of White’s Row; a former area of slum housing.
We unveiled a special plaque on Curzon Howe Road by Cllr Steven Wylie, Cabinet Member for Housing, to sit alongside the original one. This was followed by stalls, some fun activities for guests and visitors, and light refreshments.
There were tours of the Groundlings Theatre and Old Benny school, and a screening of Through the Decades: 100 years of history in 100 minutes. The grand finale saw fireworks light up the sky above Portsea.
It wasn't just for Portsea residents, people came from across the city to take part and kick-start a year of celebrations across our council housing areas.
Each area office will be talking to residents to capture their memories of living in council homes throughout the years. People will also be able to find out more about the history of the areas they live in.
The afternoon of celebrations didn't just mark the centenary of the date the houses were officially opened, but also celebrated a new era of considerable progress and development in social housing in Portsmouth.
Find out more about the history of council housing in Portsmouth:
- visit a history of council housing in Portsmouth
- read the special 100 years celebration issue of House Talk - download below
