Don't tear down our WW2 prefab homes, say residents

A resident whose prefabricated home of more than two decades has been earmarked for demolition says "they were not meant to last all these years but I love it here".

Juliusz Poppe, 79, and his neighbours live in 80-year-old prefab bungalows in Bretton Avenue, Derby.

The single-storey, two-bedroom properties were cheap to build and helped improve living conditions after the end of World War Two, but were supposed to only last a decade or two.

Now a row has broken out between Derby City Council which says it has moved forward with a masterplan to redevelop the properties as they do not meet national standards, and residents who do not want their homes to be lost.

Poppe, who has lived in his prefab home for 21 years, said: "It does get cold at night and during the day in winter so you have to have your heating on, which these days costs an arm and a leg.

"There's some damp on the ceiling as well. But there's no other drawbacks – it gets cold in any house.

"These homes are very old, they were not meant to last all these years but I love it here – its quiet and safe. I know everybody, we seem to get on like a family."

The 79-year-old said he was unaware of the latest developments but claimed he had been asked before by the council if he would want to move – and responded with a firm "no".

"I don't want the council to knock it down. As far as I'm concerned I've been here all these years, this is where I'm going to cark it," he said.

Housing chiefs in Derby say no final decision has been made on what will happen to the homes but the masterplan "allows for replacement homes".

If the bungalows were to be rebuilt, it could mean residents would have to live elsewhere temporarily, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Peter Noble, who has lived in his prefab home for 25 years, said: "I love my home and the neighbours – it is a very friendly estate."

The 66-year-old added: "A lot of people here are in their 90s and some in their 100s. They are happy here, they don't want to move."

Sarah Eley bought her property, which her granddad used to live in, and has lived there since 2010, but the masterplan is not likely to include privately-owned homes.

"I'd be absolutely gutted if lots of my neighbours were forced to move," she said.

"I would not want to be living in the middle of a building site. But not all of these are council homes so that would impact on what they can do. I just think the homes need to be better maintained, that's all."

A council spokesperson said: "The properties are structurally safe and pose no risk to residents, but they no longer meet the government's Decent Homes Standard.

"Any redevelopment will be phased to minimise disruption, and residents' needs will be taken into account.

"Residents will continue to be kept informed and will be consulted further as proposals are developed."

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