Reference
Z971
Title
Records of Royal British Legion sheltered housing at Howard Court, Flitwick
Date free text
1976-1998
Production date
From: 1976 To: 1998
Scope and Content
A history of Howard Court was written by Dr. Ardron in a letter to Colonel English on 8 February 1998 (see file of committee minutes, Z 971/2). The following is a summary of Dr. Ardron's notes:
At the end of 1977 the Royal British Legion Sheltered Housing Association decided to build twenty four one-bedroomed flats in Dunstable Road, Flitwick, to be called Howard Court. Dennis Gale was appointed chairman of the House Committee in early 1978 and the Committee subsequently took an active part in the organisation and running of the Court and in fund-raising In August 1978 the first tenants were selected and the Court was officially opened by Major F.G. Smith on 3 June 1979.
From the first the Committee members adopted a personal style of management, which, combined with their local knowledge and connections, made Howard Court "a successful and happy unit".However, the East Midlands conference at Stevenage in November 1990 heralded a change from the semi-autonomous amateur management methods of the 1970s and 1980s to a system involving greater regional control, hierarchical management structures, and centralised services and accounting systems. Furthermore the Housing Association had to become completely independent of its sponsor, The Royal British Legion. The Association was accordingly re-named Housing 21.
The Howard Court Committee (in favour of a measure of local autonomy, the personal touch, and the three-way rapport between the warden, tenants and the Committee) was quickly at loggerheads with Housing 21 (which wanted a centralised, uniform, and consequently more rigid system of management). The Committee members felt that they no longer had a useful role to play and disbanded in November 1997.
Archival history
Donated by the Committee c/o the last secretary, Doctor Geoffrey Ardron on 18 March 1998
Level of description
fonds