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The HISTORY of REDDITCH New Town

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In 1964 Redditch was designated a “New Town”.
The designation of Redditch as a New Town was as much a significant event as the
founding of Bordesley Abbey, its subsequent dissolution, the emergence of the needle
industry and the war effort of the 1940s to name just a few.
As part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the designation of Redditch
as a “New Town” the Redditch Local History Society (RLHS) decided to mount an
exhibitions depicting the recent history of the town covering the 50 years from 1964 to
2014.
In preparing this exhibition we have been surprised at the difficulty in documenting the
recent history of the town. The period of the New Town development from 1964 to 1985
is well documented but the last 30 years to 2014 were more problematic.
During this period the town has continued to grow, change and mature but we suspect
we do not think of events as they happen as tomorrow’s history. This is perhaps a good
wake up call, for as a local History Society perhaps we should be recording history, as
well as reporting it.
Another key factor in preparing this exhibition was to not just report the “history” but
also to look at the emerging “heritage” that the New Town has created.
The designation of Redditch as a New Town changed the town for ever. But it also created
one of the greenest town in the country, a road system that still serves the town well
after fifty years and a diverse economy such that the town is not dependent upon one
industry or one employer.
We therefore, thought it important to look at the vision for the New Town its planners
created 50 years ago and to look back today to see how much of that vision was realised.

This book is the contents of that exhibition.

Derek Coombes

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