London overspill


London overspill communities are the communities created as a result of the government policy of moving residents out of Greater London into other areas in the South East of England between the 1930s and the 1970s. These largely consisted of council houses and new towns.

Policy development

The policy was instigated in the 1930s, but started in earnest after the Second World War, as a reaction to the housing shortages caused by enemy bombing and large amounts of substandard housing in the capital. This policy existed until the late 1970s, reinforced by a widespread dislike of ribbon development. Started by the London County Council, the task was completed by its successor, the Greater London Council. In the 1960s, the Location of Offices Bureau dispersed office workers away from the capital. In 1960, the Greater London Plan proposed that over one million Londoners should be relocated from Inner London. The great majority of overspill families were relocated either to existing or new towns within south east England. As a short term expedient, viewed as regrettable, to meet an urgent need, "quasi-satellites" were created around the edge of Greater London, or close by, at South Oxhey, Debden and Harold Hill.

List of new and expanded towns

In 1973, the following towns were listed, in Hansard, as London overspill:
TownEconomic planning regionStatusAnticipated numbers
AndoverSouth EastExpanded town
AshfordSouth EastExpanded town
AylesburySouth EastExpanded town
BanburySouth EastExpanded town
BasildonSouth EastNew Town16,000
BasingstokeSouth EastExpanded town
BletchleySouth EastExpanded town
BracknellSouth EastNew Town12,000
BraintreeSouth EastExpanded town
CrawleySouth EastNew Town8,000
FarnboroughSouth EastExpanded town
HarlowSouth EastNew Town5,000
HastingsSouth EastExpanded town
HatfieldSouth EastNew Town1,000
Hemel HempsteadSouth EastNew Town4,000
Houghton RegisSouth EastExpanded town
LetchworthSouth EastExpanded town
Milton KeynesSouth EastNew Town69,000
SandySouth EastExpanded town
StevenageSouth EastNew Town4,000
Welwyn Garden CitySouth EastNew Town2,000
WithamSouth EastExpanded town
Bury St EdmundsEast AngliaExpanded town
HaverhillEast AngliaExpanded town
HuntingdonEast AngliaExpanded town
King's LynnEast AngliaExpanded town
Long MelfordEast AngliaExpanded town
MildenhallEast AngliaExpanded town
PeterboroughEast AngliaNew Town47,000
St NeotsEast AngliaExpanded town
SudburyEast AngliaExpanded town
ThetfordEast AngliaExpanded town
BodminSouth WestExpanded town
PlymouthSouth WestExpanded town
SwindonSouth WestExpanded town
CorbyEast MidlandsNew Town8,000
GranthamEast MidlandsExpanded town
NorthamptonEast MidlandsNew Town55,000
WellingboroughEast MidlandsExpanded town10,000
GainsboroughEast MidlandsExpanded town
BurnleyNorth WestExpanded town