Sunshine Way
Encyclopedia
Sunshine Way is the name of a crescent-shaped street in Mitcham
, England
, built in 1936 for families from overcrowded areas of inner London
, and including specially-designed houses to suit the needs of tuberculosis
(TB) patients.
The houses date from a period of nationwide effort to build better accommodation for poorer people, and a growing awareness of the link between bad housing and health problems. The name Sunshine Way referred to the six special sunshine houses for people with a tendency to TB. Each house had a patio
area in the roof where a patient could spend the night in the open air. Fresh air and sunlight were considered an important part of prevention and treatment before effective drugs were developed.
The site for Sunshine Way was bought by Church Army
Housing Ltd. and the total cost including building the houses and a community hall came to £31,000 (about £1,400,000 in 2005 money, allowing for inflation).
The housing estate was officially opened on 20 November, 1936 by Lord Horder, KVCO, and was blessed by the Bishop of Kingston
. It consisted of 51 houses, 47 of which had three bedrooms and 4 had four bedrooms. Rents ranged from 8 shillings to 12 shillings and threepence a week, or the equivalent of £18 to £30 in 2005. Mr F.M. Elgood, chairman of the company, said that in the 51 houses were 277 children, 167 of them under 10 years old.
The end of the first world war
brought awareness of a national housing shortage and, in 1919, legislation to encourage house-building for poorer people (known as the "homes for heroes" Act
). In the 1920s many city council
s and other public bodies embarked on building projects. Along with voluntary associations, often supported by church leaders, they planned to provide healthy new housing. This was a continuation of late 19th century campaigns for better conditions for the urban poor - "Disease of the respiratory or breathing system is the natural scourge of the crowded quarters." - and a series of Acts of Parliament
on the "Housing of the Working Classes", starting in 1885.
As in Sunshine Way, Mitcham, some inter-war housing was specifically designed for TB patients and their families. Leeds
built hundreds of sunshine houses in the 1930s, with 10% of their new housing having specially large, wide-opening windows to increase the flow of fresh air. Sheffield
, Middlesbrough
, Salford
and Glasgow
were other places which made specific housing provision for people with TB. In 2010, the ARCHIVE Institute
a non-governmental organisation, commenced work on engaging residents in London about the role of housing/living conditions in the transmission of TB.
Mitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, built in 1936 for families from overcrowded areas of inner London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and including specially-designed houses to suit the needs of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
(TB) patients.
The houses date from a period of nationwide effort to build better accommodation for poorer people, and a growing awareness of the link between bad housing and health problems. The name Sunshine Way referred to the six special sunshine houses for people with a tendency to TB. Each house had a patio
Patio
A patio is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a residence and is typically paved. It may refer to a roofless inner courtyard of the sort found in Spanish-style dwellings or a paved area between a residence and a garden....
area in the roof where a patient could spend the night in the open air. Fresh air and sunlight were considered an important part of prevention and treatment before effective drugs were developed.
The site for Sunshine Way was bought by Church Army
Church Army
Church Army is an evangelistic Church of England organisation operating in many parts of the Anglican Communion.-History:Church Army was founded in England in 1882 by the Revd Wilson Carlile , who banded together in an orderly army of soldiers, officers, and a few working men and women, whom he and...
Housing Ltd. and the total cost including building the houses and a community hall came to £31,000 (about £1,400,000 in 2005 money, allowing for inflation).
The housing estate was officially opened on 20 November, 1936 by Lord Horder, KVCO, and was blessed by the Bishop of Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
. It consisted of 51 houses, 47 of which had three bedrooms and 4 had four bedrooms. Rents ranged from 8 shillings to 12 shillings and threepence a week, or the equivalent of £18 to £30 in 2005. Mr F.M. Elgood, chairman of the company, said that in the 51 houses were 277 children, 167 of them under 10 years old.
The national context
The sunshine houses in Mitcham were designed at a time when special housing for tuberculosis patients was being built in several UK cities, and when there were many public schemes for rehousing poorer families. Houses with light and fresh air were seen as a remedy for health problems incubated in overcrowded city centre slums: "damp, dark dwellings whose windows the sun's rays have never penetrated and rarely reached by a draught of really pure air".The end of the first world war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
brought awareness of a national housing shortage and, in 1919, legislation to encourage house-building for poorer people (known as the "homes for heroes" Act
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
). In the 1920s many city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
s and other public bodies embarked on building projects. Along with voluntary associations, often supported by church leaders, they planned to provide healthy new housing. This was a continuation of late 19th century campaigns for better conditions for the urban poor - "Disease of the respiratory or breathing system is the natural scourge of the crowded quarters." - and a series of Acts of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
on the "Housing of the Working Classes", starting in 1885.
As in Sunshine Way, Mitcham, some inter-war housing was specifically designed for TB patients and their families. Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
built hundreds of sunshine houses in the 1930s, with 10% of their new housing having specially large, wide-opening windows to increase the flow of fresh air. Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Salford
County Borough of Salford
Salford was, from 1844 to 1974, a local government district in the northwest of England, coterminate with Salford. It was granted city status in 1926.-Free Borough and Police Commissioners:...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
were other places which made specific housing provision for people with TB. In 2010, the ARCHIVE Institute
ARCHIVE Institute
ARCHIVE is an international non-profit organization that focuses on the link between health and housing. ARCHIVE is an acronym: Architecture for Health In Vulnerable Environments...
a non-governmental organisation, commenced work on engaging residents in London about the role of housing/living conditions in the transmission of TB.
Further reading
- http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/pamphlets/SocialPolicy/socialpolicypamphlets/housing.htm LSELondon School of EconomicsThe London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
library, housing pamphlets - Leeds housing