Burton Latimer flats blocked – may still rise
Article from the Kettering Leader and Guardian, December 6th 1957, transcribed by Sally Crane.
Note: The flats referred to in this article are the ones which were eventually built (in modified form) in the early 1960s as part of the Latimer Close/Burton House development, which replaced the older properties between The Dukes Arms and The Band Club
Drawing of proposed flats by Gregory Housing Ltd.
Burton Latimer’s £20,000 scheme for building 15 flats was blocked by the Finance Committee at the recent meeting of the Urban Council. Mr. R. S. Horn , chairman of the committee, reported to the council that while his committee realised the need for new housing, especially with the slum clearance programme, it was of the opinion that £20,000 together with a borrowing rate of 7.75 per cent for 60 years would make the final cost of the scheme prohibitive.
The council decided to defer consideration of building the flats until the committee met in February or until there was a fall in the rate of borrowing – whichever was the earlier. In the meantime, it was agreed that Gregory Housing Ltd should be asked if anything could be done to reduce their present tender figure and also that the council should seek alternative tenders.
The ground floor would consist of six bedsitting flats and these would be allocated mostly to elderly people living alone. The first and second floors would consist of six two bedroom maisonettes for couples with one child or two children of the same sex. At one end of the block would be three one bedroom flats for either one or two people. The block would accommodate 30 people comfortably, with 36 as a maximum.
