1950 Slum Clearance

In a similar fashion to the slum clearances that had taken place before, a further series of slum clearances were planned in the 1950s. Initial analysis reported to the Joint Housing & Hygiene Committee in 1954 that between 1,100 and 1,200 properties would be affected by any plans.The bulk of the clearances were in the area of Halton, although various properties in other parts of the town were bundled up into the planning.

Housing Repair and Rents Act 1954

This may, in part, have been a reaction to the Housing Repair and Rents Act 1954. The relevant portions of the act required all towns to make a return to the Local Minister of Housing and Local Government of the council's plans for dealing with unfit houses, together with the total number of houses affected. As a result of this, the Town Clerk requested a joint committee be set up combining the Public Hygiene and Housing committees.

Public Meeting and Concerns

Prior to the Act mentioned above being passed, the Borough Council had already been looking at an extensive policy of re​building​ in various areas of the town. A number of property owners expressed concern; there were some twenty one objections to the policy affecting 27 properties; The brewery to which the Dun Horse was tied; the owner of 17, 18, 19 & 37 Cornfield Terrace; a property owner with ​building​s in Prospect Place, Dorset Place & Middle Street among others, however the Town Clerk, Mr N. P. Lester said that nothing could be done at present, and in any case, should the Council be ordered by the Ministry to proceed, their hands were tied.Mr Lester wished the site be redeveloped as soon as possible once the final decision had been made in any case due to the shortage of suitable sites for re-housing existing tenants and providing homes for in-comers to the town. This was due to another central government policy restricting the amount of green-space immediately outwith the boundaries of the town that could be adopted for development.The order was submitted to Central Government for approval on the 15th of March 1957, having been passed by Hastings County Borough Council on the 13th of November 1956. This covered three areas;

Clearance Areas

Area 1 was reportedly predominantly in the area and it was anticipated that those that had been dispossessed would be housed either on the Down Farm estate which had been constructed in 1957/8, or the replacement flats that were planned for on Halton Flat.Further mention is made to Priory Street in addition to Cornfield Terrace; a property owner with ​building​s in Prospect Place, Dorset Place & Middle StreetThere is mention of Bexhill Road in connection with the 1950s planning - this possibly is area two Area 3 consisted of the following properties:* 1-10 Claremont Terrace

• 248-254 Old London Road (Even numbers)
• 258-272 Old London Road (Even numbers)
• 1-4 Land View Cottages
• Rear of 258 Old London Road
• Stable & Sheds to rear and side of 2 Frederick Road
• Passage adjoining 1-10 Claremont Terrace
• Passage from 2 Frederick Road to the above passage.
• Passage from above to High Bank Way (known as High Bank)

Tender for Contractors

"The Joint Finance. Housing and Public Hygiene Committees recommended to the Town Council Tuesday (29 Jul 1958) that tenders be invited for the demolition and clearance of the remaining premises In the Clearance Areas Nos. 1/1 and 1/2 as a whole; in three separate blocks; and in three separate blocks, excluding ​building​s 140 and 142. Priory Road, and garage at the rear No. 138. Priory Road. 1a. Albion Street. 1a Egremont Place. garage and builder’s yard, Halton Crescent. They also recommended that it be left to the three chairmen of the committee to consider and accept a suitable tender or tenders".The demolition work required on 87 houses at was put out for tender in August 1958.

Construction of new housing

Since the end of WW2,by 1954, some 899 new houses had been built. In part this was to replace properties damaged during the war, but mainly to accommodate the pre-war slum clearance areas and others awaiting housing.By April of 1957, the construction of housing on the Down Farm estate was reportedly proceeding well, so well in fact that one councillor whose house had a view over to the slopes of the estate reported it resembled a barracks such was the quantity of brickwork visible. In total, 133 homes were to be built, some of them to be in small four storey blocks of flats.Clearance of the area was planned to commence during October 1958, starting from the South Western end and new housing on the Down Farm estate was being released in monthly batches of 6-8 units per month to keep up with the clearance work. The duration of this phase of the project was estimated to be twelve months.

1960s Clearance

In 1962, there are records of Compulsory Purchase orders covering Gensing Road, Alfred Street and North Street.