Not fit for Humans? Social and Economic Change in Slough 1919–1951

Abstract

In the 25 years after the First World War, Slough's population quadrupled from 16,397 to 66,471, transforming it from an insignificant market town into the fastest growing industrial town in southern England. Aggressive expansion of the country's first private sector 'trading estate' provided employment that attracted tens of thousands of voluntary migrants from the distressed areas and elsewhere. Growth placed huge demands on local authorities, resulting in largely unplanned and uncoordinated urban development, with accompanying social challenges and a diminished sense of civic identity. Whether this represented an economic miracle or a demographic blight divided opinion: while Betjeman condemned it as unfit for human habitation, The Times commended Slough as 'a smart and prosperous centre of industry'. The positive and negative aspects of its growth influenced planners of the post-war era of nationalisation and other centralised initiatives.