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Following the second world war momentum grew in Bedford to plan the re-development of the town from its current size of 58,000 to 75,000. This required the provision of a substantial area of land for housing development. At the time the County Council, who were the planning authority, attempted to pursued the Borough Council to consider development on areas of clay sub-soil around Bedford, and in particular across Putnoe, Goldington and Brickhill. There initially appeared to be great resistance to this. Traditionally buildings in Bedford had founded on areas of River Terrace gravels, and it was thought in 1949 that the cost of the foundations excavated into the Boulder Clay/Blue Oxford Clay would add approximately £70 to the cost of constructing a house. Since no viable alternative could be found by the Borough they eventually acccepted the County's proposals for development of the Putnoe area. The decision to develop the Putnoe area was taken in 1950, but concern was expressed by councillors about developing the site in an 'unplanned' way. "We are not going to have this great lump put on one side of our town if it is going to mean bad planning". Max Lock, a town planning consultant, was appointed early in 1950 by the County Council, to prepare detailed proposals for the future development of Bedford. He published his report to the Council in 1951 and as a book "Bedford by the River" in April 1952. Lock made recommendations on the development of 'Neighbourhood 4', a site of approximately 250 acres stretching from Goldington Green on the east to Putnoe Lane in the West. By the end of 1952 tenders for the roads, drainage and water main infra-structure had been received to link Goldington to Putnoe Lane, and construction commenced in 1953. One Hundred and Sixteen Acres owned by the Hartop family were purchased (along with other land in Goldington) by the Bedford Corporation by April 1953. Ninety Four plots along Putnoe Lane were immediately sold by the Corporation to private purchasers and local builders. Towards the end of 1953 a further 136 plots on the estate were offered for sale to local builders. Bedford Corporation at the time appeared to have a policy of encouraging local rather than national builders to develop the site, and seemed to maintain this policy until 1968. The first
phase of construction of the Putnoe estate occured between 1953 and
1957
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