Alkrington Garden Village

A GARDEN VILLAGE, THE OPENING UP OF THE ALKINGTON ESTATE – The first house of the garden village which is to be laid out on the Alkrington estate, near Middleton on the eastern border of Manchester, was opened on Saturday afternoon by Mr T C Horsfall. The trustees of the late James Lees, to whom the land belongs, determined to develop the estate largely on co-partnership lines. As was reported some months ago, they had plans prepared by Mr Thomas Adams for laying out the whole estate of 700 acres as a model suburb which might serve both Manchester and Middleton, the tramway running along the main road between the two places providing a convenient means of access. For immediate development, however, fifty acres have been set aside. The co-partnership societies have not yet been formed, but the owners of the land have done some of the preliminary work and have built seven houses, which they intend as specimens to show people what may be done in the way of providing at a low cost well-built, airy dwellings, pleasant to look at and pleasant to live in. Each house has its bit of garden, and the plans for the village make provision for plenty of open spaces. The minimum values which have been fixed for the houses to be built on the various plots range from £250 to £600.

The scheme contemplates the formation of two societies; one a tenants’ co-partnership, the other a co-operative building society by means of which people may be enabled to become owners of their houses by a system of gradual payment. It is calculated that a man can acquire a £250 house by paying £63 down and then twenty annual payments of £20. He would then get his house, in fact by paying what is no more than an ordinary rent for 20 years.  It is suggested in the prospectus which has been issued that in cases where the raising of the initial £63 is impossible, arrangements could be made for advancing the whole of the capital and for extending the period of repayment.

Mr Pepler, of Messrs Pepler and Allan, the architects of the houses that have already been built, explained some of the features of the scheme. Mr James Lees, one of the trustees of the estate, said that the main idea behind the scheme was to substitute for the familiar ugly rows of terraced houses, all exactly alike, something a little more artistic, with plenty of house space and garden space, noting additionally that the scheme was started in 1907. [Manchester Guardian 31 July 1911 page 14 Manchester Guardian 31 July 1911 page 14]

ALKRINGTON - It is announced that the Alkrington Hall Estate, Manchester, is to be developed as a Garden Suburb, and it is expected that a large portion of the development will be on Co-partnership lines. The Estate, which consists of about 700 acres and adjoins the Borough of Middleton, possesses many attractive features. Some three or four years ago a strong attempt was made by the Garden City Association to form a Company to acquire this land for Garden City purposes. The Prospecting and Development Committee had surveys made, and local meetings were held, but there was not sufficient response to justify the formation of a Company. Although unsuccessful in that respect, the Association had the pleasure of knowing that the Estate was to be laid out on proper lines, and Mr Thomas Adams, who as Hon. Secretary of the Association, had taken much interest in the project, was called in by the owners, the Lees Trustees, as expert adviser. The Estate is now being developed by Messrs Pepler and Allen on the basis of twelve houses to the acre, with ample provision for recreation grounds and other open space. Good progress has been made already. The first house was opened by Mr T C Horsfall on July 29th, 1911, and building has since progressed steadily. This scheme was one of the first to be submitted to a local authority as a Town Planning Scheme under the Act, and it is interesting to know that Messrs Pepler and Allen have been able to come to a mutually satisfactory give and take arrangement with the Middleton Corporation. A Co-partnership Housing Society known as "The Alkrington Housing Society Ltd," has recently undertaken the erection of thirty houses. [Ewart G Culpin: The Garden City Movement Up-to-Date 1913 page 23]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 1 May 1912 page 7 – Town Planning Inquiry
Reference    Ewart G Culpin: The Garden City Movement Up-to-Date 1913 page 23