Goscote, West Midlands
Encyclopedia
Goscote is a residential area of Walsall
in the West Midlands
of England
. The Goscote name dates back several centuries and as recently as 1920 it was a rural area that had survived the recent Industrial Revolution
which dramatically altered the face of the region.
But a mile or two away in Walsall town centre, hundreds of families were living in squalid and sub-standard housing. By the outbreak of World War II
in 1939, some 400 families had been rehoused to new council housing around Goscote, mostly around Goscote Lodge Crescent. Further new housing was developed by the council around Goscote after the war ended in 1945.
However, Goscote was in serious decline towards the end of the 20th century with high crime rates. Demand for housing in the area became low, leading to an increase in the number of empty properties.
In January 2007, the local council announced plans to demolish 281 interwar properties on Goscote Lodge Crescent, Hildicks Crescent and Middle Crescent. By this stage, several houses on the estate had already been demolished due to attacks by vandals and arsonists while they were empty. 103 of the 281 condemned houses were already empty by the time of the council's decision to demolish them. Within three years, the rehousing and demolition were virtually complete, although construction of the new properties - a mix of private and rented housing - has yet to begin.
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
of 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...
. The Goscote name dates back several centuries and as recently as 1920 it was a rural area that had survived the recent Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
which dramatically altered the face of the region.
But a mile or two away in Walsall town centre, hundreds of families were living in squalid and sub-standard housing. By the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, some 400 families had been rehoused to new council housing around Goscote, mostly around Goscote Lodge Crescent. Further new housing was developed by the council around Goscote after the war ended in 1945.
However, Goscote was in serious decline towards the end of the 20th century with high crime rates. Demand for housing in the area became low, leading to an increase in the number of empty properties.
In January 2007, the local council announced plans to demolish 281 interwar properties on Goscote Lodge Crescent, Hildicks Crescent and Middle Crescent. By this stage, several houses on the estate had already been demolished due to attacks by vandals and arsonists while they were empty. 103 of the 281 condemned houses were already empty by the time of the council's decision to demolish them. Within three years, the rehousing and demolition were virtually complete, although construction of the new properties - a mix of private and rented housing - has yet to begin.