They illustrate how the Peterborough we know today has taken shape over recent decades.
Peterborough has changed a great deal over the decades and continues to change.
Do you think things have changed for the better? Are there any buildings in Peterborough’s past that hold a special meaning for you?
Do you remember moving into a newly constructed home in the Development Corporation years?
If you have any pictures of Peterborough people and places from the past and you’d like to share them with Looking Back readers, send them to [email protected]
5.
The building site in the forefront of this aerial shot became Peterborough’s first tower block, the 12-storey high St Mary’s Court. It consisted of 139 flats and was built on a site in the old St Mary’s Street, which was a slum area of Eastgate. The council had begun clearing the slums in the area in 1938 and this continued on and off until the 60s.The contract for building the flats was won by local company Mitchell Construction in 1964. The contract was worth £540,000 and the plans included underground parking for 68 cars and 75 bikes. Work clearing the site began in March 1964 with the first show flat opening in June the next yearbefore an offical opening in December. This photograph was taken in 1964 with the cathedral in the top left hand corner. Photo: Midlands
6.
Thisaerial photograph shows the housing development at Orton Malborne during the New Town years. The general manager of Peterborough Development Corporation, Wyndham Thomas, believed the density of homes was too high but the corporation was forced to build to guidelines set by Whitehall. In an attempt to alleviate this Thomas insisted on high garden fences to give some privacy. He believed he could have completed the housing programme at no extra cost if he had been permitted to build to a lower density. Photo: Midlands