Fred and Margaret Jackson of Clarence Chare have lived there for 30 years, buying their Prefab Bungalow, brick cladding and modernising it to suit their requirements. Most of the other bungalows which were built after the war, and used mainly for people with disabilities, are now owned and rented out by Livin. Fred and Margaret are concerned how their neighbourhood has deteriorated over recent years with nine of the properties empty – waiting, they are told, for re-cladding and improvements by the landlords. The outside of the bungalows have also been neglected with hedges uncropped and growing to great height.
Last year the couple had a rat infestation and they are worried this problem may reoccur. They have lived in the area for nearly 65 years and love where they live, but the state of properties surrounding them is disheartening and they would like to know what the future holds. Fred said it was hard to believe these bungalows are still empty when there is such a demand. “Why are the landlords letting the condition of their properties worsen when they could be earning good rental value” asked Fred. We contacted Livin and they told us there were no plans in the immediate future to bring the bungalows back into use as other areas of property development have taken priority. They did think initially there was a need to reclad the exterior of the prefabs to bring the insulation up to standard, but investigations show this is unnecessary. Eventually the bungalows will be brought back into the rental market and probably used as temporary housing while other properties are being refurbished.
