NextBack“A population explosion occurred as Soldiers came home from the war and had nowhere to live. There was a severe housing shortage and the Abbey Hostel was used for the homeless. To relieve the housing shortage the Council bought in several innovative forms of housing. In Batchley 100 Orlit prefabricated houses were erected which were supposed to last 60 years. On the Mayfields 100 houses were supplied in kit form from the British Iron and Steel federation. Also, three little estates of fifty houses each were built of the now-famous so-called ‘prefabs' at Littlewoods in Crabbs Cross, in Dolphin road in Abbeydale, and at the Cedars estate in Batchley. The prefabricated houses have passed into history to such an extent that one has been re-erected at Avoneroft.”
“They were supposed to last 80 years but, according to Walter Stranz the cement for the foundations had been mixed with shale from the coal tips and the shale had not been completely burned out. Consequently, there was a problem with the foundations, the floors buckled and those built on sloping ground could have found themselves sliding downhill.”
“In addition, the bolts holding the sections together tended to corrode. The prefabs at Crabbs Cross were replaced by brick-
