SOME SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF NEW TOWNS by S. D. Coleman, M.D. lived and worked J-TaVING 7- new town for several
.
in
a
years,
1
town the majority of j.e'ieve that in time to become adjusted J^ilies do people changes involved, else, and that tensions due ^Vwhere this diminish new
e
as
or disappear, minority ?f families or ndividuals have difficulty in adapting, cause
B inn-
a
^ their
tensions remain, or even These form the hard core the discontented. Several doctors in new towns have that there is a greater ncidence of neurosis in their Others have denied this, but Ereed that, compared with older k tablished areas, the patients might more demanding, or exhibit an ?
grease.
^?gested Ipctices.
J.a8gerated lvial
anxiety
illnesses.
cause
over
relatively
of tension
hy
do these tensions arise? It has suggested that one cause in Separated j usewives is loneliness. their friends and relations, tied their homes by young children, too s, to make friends, they often beITle depressed, and then symptoms a u
^en
to0lJ CQy e
sustained,
js
or even
exacerbated, by
lation and lack of morale. Any Hi ness or unusual domestic stress c an extra burden, and (. nstitutes resilience left to cope Such patients are to be everywhere. Yet in new towns may be more, because there is J?ater isolation?amongst housees at To some extent (l any rate. h same is true of housing estates, bee ause Pressure on men is less, of the contacts and support th V enioy in their work. minister of religion in Hatfield cJ suggested that there are several factors to the loneliness. firstly, the obvious one of the uProoting from the old and familiar and entering an environment "ere all is new and strange. , Secondly, an absorption in the new n?nies, the new gadgets, the television.
f0 th
"
-'s it.
grere
^
ntributory
^?ting,
the small make the
family, etc., which tends to family live within itself,
no wider horizon, and to make the family loth to commit themselves to outside organisations and forms of service. Thirdly, many people in the new areas have lists of acquaintances but
with
very few friends at a deep level, because such friendship demands involvement and sacrifice that many are not prepared to give. Fourthly, another factor is a slow of community sense. "Home" is still where they came from, and it may be that only the children growing will have that sense of up there belonging which characterises the
growth
older urban
lacking in
Leadership is also communities, owing to
areas.
new
the tremendous economic pressure on the men, who have little spare time for voluntary work. At the same time, the women are too tied to their homes to do much for the community.
Why is it that people, once they realise that they are lonely, make no effort to seek the companionship of others? The reason for this is suggested in a letter from another
minister: "People anywhere,
are lonely and neurotic unless properly adjusted to life and their neighbours. A lot depends on the attitude to life. A attitude that passive expects social relationships and adjustments to be made for them and provided as part of a social service, will mean that they will wait in vain, and be lonely and neurotic. A positive attitude will lead them to make friends and find or create social contacts." It is important to ensure that these problems are recognised by those who plan new towns if the mistakes made in present-day new towns are to be avoided. The layout of a street may be a determining factor in the group relationships of its people: for example, in some blocks of houses, the end houses have their porch doors facing a different way; houses in a
small
cul-de-sac
"matey-ness",
as
tend
to
into three sections to meet the n?t> of different age groups; this Qul' apart from the Scouts and Gui^1 Some children love the uniforflf but others do not 1'
promote
with a houses are
compared
which in a straight line. Another minister, from Wales, says: "Lots of the people here flock to the large new community centre, but not all for the same reason. Some road
main
in
simply strung along
go
to
the
cookery sewing, etc.
classes
or
organisations,
we
Problem families
wood-
toW^
In Stevenage and other new there is an unbalanced age with a predominance of young birth rate double that of a national average, and a relate Althof? absence of old people. many young people miss their others have achieved liberation
work or just as much for the company as for what they learn, though that is also important as it gives a sense of doing something worthwhile. The young people go to the community centres for dancing, jiving, etc., but mainly, I think, to meet those of their own age group. The Local Authority helps also by planning groups of houses for age groups, such as small corner blocks or groups of bungalows for the aged, not too far away from the younger people. There may be, too, an old folks' home where a number of aged .
.
struct^'
.
Pe?PL
pare^
fr0,1f
parental domination, becoming m?f self-reliant.
the people attracted have thought that problems would be resolved there. Pl. this is true only of housing. who are immature and unable to cof, with life solve nothing. The prosperity has led many of them try and overcome personal and Some
new
of
the(
towns
Th?5^
gen^
persons can live more or less under the one roof and under some general
.
fafl1!'! rnatej^
supervision. The Old Age Pensioners' Association
we are to meet the nec have to cater for all."
them, and if
problems through acquiring possessions, particularly cars,
and
other groups are given the special facilities of premises in which to run their own activities. All this seems to me very good. For
^
^ worv oWi^5
these in turn have led to debt. result, men often have to longer hours, and at weekends. M*11;, people find shopping expensive, to lack of competition and the c mercial levels being fairly high. So^l residents are so pleased with the modern houses that they enter hire purchase commitments far yond their ability to pay comfortablV Newton Aycliffe depends mainly ?. the nearby trading estate, which f not afford many opportunities
a
people, however, the best run would not organisation satisfy, especially if it means a community life dominated by standards different from those to which they are used. Thus, there must be a large variety of small groups; run mainly by volunsome
i?l
tary bodies. The churches cannot run single one which meets the needs of all the different kinds of people. We must sub-divide. Thus, I have a Sisterhood for the older women, whose children are at school and so can conveniently meet in the afternoons, but the Young Wives meet separately, and have different types of meetings. They can easily come in the evenings if out at work during the day, or if they have a baby and can only go out freely when the husband is willing to spend that evening at home (which most of them will do readily) but others prefer the Guild which is open to both sexes. The Youth Club has been divided a
highly paid employment. Families who
come
to the
.
.
attend,
ma^
of the Probation Officer for monial reconciliation can be classify into three groups: Firstly, a small group, often trouble; for example, for failure to P~J their rents, or because of their ch1' ren's misdemeanours. They are 1 Secondly, the "Inadequates", people who, in the established would live in the poorest areas, dfl'j ing along on low standards and wages. They, too, are a small grOu".
fevV'';
tov^
But
62
they
create
a
problem, beca11*
hey
with the high neighbours. The find difficulty in obtaining jobs )^en ?cause they are not skilled for hose available. Therefore, some resort
-
cannot of
standards
l> i ?
:f
0
1
keep
shoplifting,
2?ods
up
their
and
others
obtain
hire purchase, with no hope In one the repayment. case, .,Usband and wife were caught shop'fting, and pleaded that their children starving; but they had a 21 in. .^vision set and a washing machine 1(1 their home. a mixed group, who come , Thirdly, ?r a variety of reasons, but not so can that they under a cloak of anonymity". r?bation Officers know of many not married, the men often aving a wife and family elsewhere. on
^
i, !
; !
:
^commonly
p^elter
??uples
1 vj has been noted that there is a 1 absence of crime and juvenile deity lriquency in East Kilbride, and it su8gested that this was due to the Person who moved into the tow *n Hatfield, too, the figures for '? iuv
tyDs
delinquency have been low. W^ile?ther show big increase, tC ^gUres this town areas
a
are
hieh ?ner
little
than in preceding years. There more adult offences than before,
|L
the incidence is still W nevertheless, The matrimonial problems are W? at a low level, and, if anything, ?
^an
few
This Years back. is probably due Pen i to the fact that many of the P'e who have moved into the areas 5r p skilled or semi-skilled artisans and of :'y to the character and activities local schools. Cwmbran, on the other hand, has been a steady increase in dej. rates of crime and juvenile Iriquency. One reason may be working in the factories, w'th excessive hire purchase c0m (jg fitments. Another reason may greater proportion of "inadesince many were reh0ij ^ families, from slum-clearance areas.
Pre
a
Partfnt happy
state
jthe
t|lere
|jn,rt-time ?
q^a5?
fhg 0(1
adult criminals operate generally
itj their
own, but the
^lSaruUpS been 0
a
juveniles mainly
small gangs. There has high rate of matrimonial
or
applications to the Court there, generally through minor problems. Though the reconciliation success rate is high, the high application rate is an indica-
tion of social unrest.
"Breaks" Youth Centre This centre deserves
detailed a since it shows that, given enthusiastic leadership and the an encouragement of the authorities, people can be encouraged to take an active interest in their community. The "Breaks" Youth Centre was established at the same time as Hatfield New Town was started, and has had a thriving life of about nine years. It was established in a small mansion, with auxiliary buildings spread over the district, e.g., an exhangar used as a dance hall and roller skating rink and a barn that was reconditioned by the members and is used as a club. The members have built their own excellent dance and
description
meeting hall, largely with their
own
money, and it is a monument to their energy and cheerful devotion. Membership ranges from 12 to 30-yearin olds, age-groups, organised though with some intermingling. There are close connections with adult clubs and old people's organisations. The Centre is in charge of the ^ Warden, Mr. Bill Salmon, and an assistant, and it is probably due to Mr. Salmon's personality, plus the determination of the Development Corporation and the goodwill of influential local people, that the club has thrived so greatly. The members organise most forms of cultural and recreation activity, and in addition there are Further Education classes, with tutors paid and supplied by the L.E.A. The Centre is open seven days a week up to about 10 p.m. There is a canteen, juke box and other facilities that present-day youth likes. The Crawley Branch of the Educational Workers' Association found that 53% of the adult population spent three or more of the five week-day evenings watching television. 65% of the sample population did not belong to any organisations, and only 16% of the married women
with children belonged to an organisation. Yet, the young wives in this group complain of loneliness.
This problem is not peculiar to Crawley. A Hertfordshire minister
writes: "New town people are not good at providing their own entertainment. Dramatic clubs and social clubs find life hard. A Town needs a good cinema which has new films first time round, and good bus services for people in the more isolated areas. Scouts, Guides, and Cubs lack leaders. Young men and women with a family must have exceptional interests and a sense of duty if they are to venture out one or two evenings a week." from cities and towns are accustomed to ready-made entertainment. When this is lacking in new towns, particularly in the early stages, they are thrown back on basic personal social resources which are often lacking.
People
coming
A Basildon minister states that: "One would assume that residents would be more anxious to get to share the general newness, but this does not seem to be the case. Even Londoners, usually 'matey', do not extend their friendship to others. know
each
other,
"Lots of folk have a house for the first time, and spend months indoors enjoying the experience. It is almost impossible to get them out to anything. Life for them settles round the family, and, of course, a large pro-
family at once and have children quickly, one after the other. Many couples buy everything at once, much of it on hire purchase, portion
start
a
no spare cash for interests. The town centte pretty dead all week, chock-fuN weekends. "As far as Basildon is concer"' we are too near London. Cof quently, most weekends families eltv go back home or are visited by {C'r tives. This again hinders comrt^.' life, and prevents them from ^ grounded locally. Thus, they g? living in isolation and Many men work in town, so are 3
and
they have
side
,
loneli^
hours each
day." j In every town, it seems at first sir, that a major reason for the failure long
build up new
thriving community Ji^ housing estates isjj,
towns and
absence means on
a
,
of social amenities. that families are thrust ^
their
own
resources,
which K
often inadequate, and much of leisure time is spent in front of television set. Yet when amenitiesa ^ provided, many are unable or willing to take advantage of This does not mean that there are A. flourishing clubs, further classes and drama clubs in some the new towns. In East Kilbride, f. example, there is an interest in community activities, ? yet there are no suitable concerts, plays, and art exhibiti0,. but demand for such premises is be1' There is also created. accommodation for youth and ad { In other new towns there clubs. still scant interest taken in c?. munity life. It would seem, that there are considerable differed between the new towns in the ra' of of evolution commit1 consciousness.
^
11
the^(
educat^'
,
increas1^
premises1
inadeq^,
theref?r?>
.
in
a
years,
1
town the majority of j.e'ieve that in time to become adjusted J^ilies do people changes involved, else, and that tensions due ^Vwhere this diminish new
e
as
or disappear, minority ?f families or ndividuals have difficulty in adapting, cause
B inn-
a
^ their
tensions remain, or even These form the hard core the discontented. Several doctors in new towns have that there is a greater ncidence of neurosis in their Others have denied this, but Ereed that, compared with older k tablished areas, the patients might more demanding, or exhibit an ?
grease.
^?gested Ipctices.
J.a8gerated lvial
anxiety
illnesses.
cause
over
relatively
of tension
hy
do these tensions arise? It has suggested that one cause in Separated j usewives is loneliness. their friends and relations, tied their homes by young children, too s, to make friends, they often beITle depressed, and then symptoms a u
^en
to0lJ CQy e
sustained,
js
or even
exacerbated, by
lation and lack of morale. Any Hi ness or unusual domestic stress c an extra burden, and (. nstitutes resilience left to cope Such patients are to be everywhere. Yet in new towns may be more, because there is J?ater isolation?amongst housees at To some extent (l any rate. h same is true of housing estates, bee ause Pressure on men is less, of the contacts and support th V enioy in their work. minister of religion in Hatfield cJ suggested that there are several factors to the loneliness. firstly, the obvious one of the uProoting from the old and familiar and entering an environment "ere all is new and strange. , Secondly, an absorption in the new n?nies, the new gadgets, the television.
f0 th
"
-'s it.
grere
^
ntributory
^?ting,
the small make the
family, etc., which tends to family live within itself,
no wider horizon, and to make the family loth to commit themselves to outside organisations and forms of service. Thirdly, many people in the new areas have lists of acquaintances but
with
very few friends at a deep level, because such friendship demands involvement and sacrifice that many are not prepared to give. Fourthly, another factor is a slow of community sense. "Home" is still where they came from, and it may be that only the children growing will have that sense of up there belonging which characterises the
growth
older urban
lacking in
Leadership is also communities, owing to
areas.
new
the tremendous economic pressure on the men, who have little spare time for voluntary work. At the same time, the women are too tied to their homes to do much for the community.
Why is it that people, once they realise that they are lonely, make no effort to seek the companionship of others? The reason for this is suggested in a letter from another
minister: "People anywhere,
are lonely and neurotic unless properly adjusted to life and their neighbours. A lot depends on the attitude to life. A attitude that passive expects social relationships and adjustments to be made for them and provided as part of a social service, will mean that they will wait in vain, and be lonely and neurotic. A positive attitude will lead them to make friends and find or create social contacts." It is important to ensure that these problems are recognised by those who plan new towns if the mistakes made in present-day new towns are to be avoided. The layout of a street may be a determining factor in the group relationships of its people: for example, in some blocks of houses, the end houses have their porch doors facing a different way; houses in a
small
cul-de-sac
"matey-ness",
as
tend
to
into three sections to meet the n?t> of different age groups; this Qul' apart from the Scouts and Gui^1 Some children love the uniforflf but others do not 1'
promote
with a houses are
compared
which in a straight line. Another minister, from Wales, says: "Lots of the people here flock to the large new community centre, but not all for the same reason. Some road
main
in
simply strung along
go
to
the
cookery sewing, etc.
classes
or
organisations,
we
Problem families
wood-
toW^
In Stevenage and other new there is an unbalanced age with a predominance of young birth rate double that of a national average, and a relate Althof? absence of old people. many young people miss their others have achieved liberation
work or just as much for the company as for what they learn, though that is also important as it gives a sense of doing something worthwhile. The young people go to the community centres for dancing, jiving, etc., but mainly, I think, to meet those of their own age group. The Local Authority helps also by planning groups of houses for age groups, such as small corner blocks or groups of bungalows for the aged, not too far away from the younger people. There may be, too, an old folks' home where a number of aged .
.
struct^'
.
Pe?PL
pare^
fr0,1f
parental domination, becoming m?f self-reliant.
the people attracted have thought that problems would be resolved there. Pl. this is true only of housing. who are immature and unable to cof, with life solve nothing. The prosperity has led many of them try and overcome personal and Some
new
of
the(
towns
Th?5^
gen^
persons can live more or less under the one roof and under some general
.
fafl1!'! rnatej^
supervision. The Old Age Pensioners' Association
we are to meet the nec have to cater for all."
them, and if
problems through acquiring possessions, particularly cars,
and
other groups are given the special facilities of premises in which to run their own activities. All this seems to me very good. For
^
^ worv oWi^5
these in turn have led to debt. result, men often have to longer hours, and at weekends. M*11;, people find shopping expensive, to lack of competition and the c mercial levels being fairly high. So^l residents are so pleased with the modern houses that they enter hire purchase commitments far yond their ability to pay comfortablV Newton Aycliffe depends mainly ?. the nearby trading estate, which f not afford many opportunities
a
people, however, the best run would not organisation satisfy, especially if it means a community life dominated by standards different from those to which they are used. Thus, there must be a large variety of small groups; run mainly by volunsome
i?l
tary bodies. The churches cannot run single one which meets the needs of all the different kinds of people. We must sub-divide. Thus, I have a Sisterhood for the older women, whose children are at school and so can conveniently meet in the afternoons, but the Young Wives meet separately, and have different types of meetings. They can easily come in the evenings if out at work during the day, or if they have a baby and can only go out freely when the husband is willing to spend that evening at home (which most of them will do readily) but others prefer the Guild which is open to both sexes. The Youth Club has been divided a
highly paid employment. Families who
come
to the
.
.
attend,
ma^
of the Probation Officer for monial reconciliation can be classify into three groups: Firstly, a small group, often trouble; for example, for failure to P~J their rents, or because of their ch1' ren's misdemeanours. They are 1 Secondly, the "Inadequates", people who, in the established would live in the poorest areas, dfl'j ing along on low standards and wages. They, too, are a small grOu".
fevV'';
tov^
But
62
they
create
a
problem, beca11*
hey
with the high neighbours. The find difficulty in obtaining jobs )^en ?cause they are not skilled for hose available. Therefore, some resort
-
cannot of
standards
l> i ?
:f
0
1
keep
shoplifting,
2?ods
up
their
and
others
obtain
hire purchase, with no hope In one the repayment. case, .,Usband and wife were caught shop'fting, and pleaded that their children starving; but they had a 21 in. .^vision set and a washing machine 1(1 their home. a mixed group, who come , Thirdly, ?r a variety of reasons, but not so can that they under a cloak of anonymity". r?bation Officers know of many not married, the men often aving a wife and family elsewhere. on
^
i, !
; !
:
^commonly
p^elter
??uples
1 vj has been noted that there is a 1 absence of crime and juvenile deity lriquency in East Kilbride, and it su8gested that this was due to the Person who moved into the tow *n Hatfield, too, the figures for '? iuv
tyDs
delinquency have been low. W^ile?ther show big increase, tC ^gUres this town areas
a
are
hieh ?ner
little
than in preceding years. There more adult offences than before,
|L
the incidence is still W nevertheless, The matrimonial problems are W? at a low level, and, if anything, ?
^an
few
This Years back. is probably due Pen i to the fact that many of the P'e who have moved into the areas 5r p skilled or semi-skilled artisans and of :'y to the character and activities local schools. Cwmbran, on the other hand, has been a steady increase in dej. rates of crime and juvenile Iriquency. One reason may be working in the factories, w'th excessive hire purchase c0m (jg fitments. Another reason may greater proportion of "inadesince many were reh0ij ^ families, from slum-clearance areas.
Pre
a
Partfnt happy
state
jthe
t|lere
|jn,rt-time ?
q^a5?
fhg 0(1
adult criminals operate generally
itj their
own, but the
^lSaruUpS been 0
a
juveniles mainly
small gangs. There has high rate of matrimonial
or
applications to the Court there, generally through minor problems. Though the reconciliation success rate is high, the high application rate is an indica-
tion of social unrest.
"Breaks" Youth Centre This centre deserves
detailed a since it shows that, given enthusiastic leadership and the an encouragement of the authorities, people can be encouraged to take an active interest in their community. The "Breaks" Youth Centre was established at the same time as Hatfield New Town was started, and has had a thriving life of about nine years. It was established in a small mansion, with auxiliary buildings spread over the district, e.g., an exhangar used as a dance hall and roller skating rink and a barn that was reconditioned by the members and is used as a club. The members have built their own excellent dance and
description
meeting hall, largely with their
own
money, and it is a monument to their energy and cheerful devotion. Membership ranges from 12 to 30-yearin olds, age-groups, organised though with some intermingling. There are close connections with adult clubs and old people's organisations. The Centre is in charge of the ^ Warden, Mr. Bill Salmon, and an assistant, and it is probably due to Mr. Salmon's personality, plus the determination of the Development Corporation and the goodwill of influential local people, that the club has thrived so greatly. The members organise most forms of cultural and recreation activity, and in addition there are Further Education classes, with tutors paid and supplied by the L.E.A. The Centre is open seven days a week up to about 10 p.m. There is a canteen, juke box and other facilities that present-day youth likes. The Crawley Branch of the Educational Workers' Association found that 53% of the adult population spent three or more of the five week-day evenings watching television. 65% of the sample population did not belong to any organisations, and only 16% of the married women
with children belonged to an organisation. Yet, the young wives in this group complain of loneliness.
This problem is not peculiar to Crawley. A Hertfordshire minister
writes: "New town people are not good at providing their own entertainment. Dramatic clubs and social clubs find life hard. A Town needs a good cinema which has new films first time round, and good bus services for people in the more isolated areas. Scouts, Guides, and Cubs lack leaders. Young men and women with a family must have exceptional interests and a sense of duty if they are to venture out one or two evenings a week." from cities and towns are accustomed to ready-made entertainment. When this is lacking in new towns, particularly in the early stages, they are thrown back on basic personal social resources which are often lacking.
People
coming
A Basildon minister states that: "One would assume that residents would be more anxious to get to share the general newness, but this does not seem to be the case. Even Londoners, usually 'matey', do not extend their friendship to others. know
each
other,
"Lots of folk have a house for the first time, and spend months indoors enjoying the experience. It is almost impossible to get them out to anything. Life for them settles round the family, and, of course, a large pro-
family at once and have children quickly, one after the other. Many couples buy everything at once, much of it on hire purchase, portion
start
a
no spare cash for interests. The town centte pretty dead all week, chock-fuN weekends. "As far as Basildon is concer"' we are too near London. Cof quently, most weekends families eltv go back home or are visited by {C'r tives. This again hinders comrt^.' life, and prevents them from ^ grounded locally. Thus, they g? living in isolation and Many men work in town, so are 3
and
they have
side
,
loneli^
hours each
day." j In every town, it seems at first sir, that a major reason for the failure long
build up new
thriving community Ji^ housing estates isjj,
towns and
absence means on
a
,
of social amenities. that families are thrust ^
their
own
resources,
which K
often inadequate, and much of leisure time is spent in front of television set. Yet when amenitiesa ^ provided, many are unable or willing to take advantage of This does not mean that there are A. flourishing clubs, further classes and drama clubs in some the new towns. In East Kilbride, f. example, there is an interest in community activities, ? yet there are no suitable concerts, plays, and art exhibiti0,. but demand for such premises is be1' There is also created. accommodation for youth and ad { In other new towns there clubs. still scant interest taken in c?. munity life. It would seem, that there are considerable differed between the new towns in the ra' of of evolution commit1 consciousness.
^
11
the^(
educat^'
,
increas1^
premises1
inadeq^,
theref?r?>
