Papers of the West Midland Group on Post-War Reconstruction and Planning

The papers of the West Midland Group on Post-War Reconstruction and Planning comprise the Group's general and miscellaneous correspondence, 1941-1950; statistics and annual reports and accounts of local authorities, reports of Medical Officers of Health and other miscellaneous pamphlets; correspondence, reports and research and other papers relating to the Group's survey of Herefordshire, the publication of its report, 'English County: A Planning Survey of Herefordshire' in 1946 and a radio broadcast based on the book, 1948; correspondence, reports, statistics, edited text and other papers relating the Group's research and publication on Conurbation including materials relating to siting satellite towns and to housing; correspondence and drafts, revised texts and proofs for the Group's publication of Local Government and Central Control published in 1956; correspondence and reports relating to research and publication on land classification and utilisation; correspondence and other papers relating to Local Government Inquiries including correspondence with ministries and local authorities; other memoranda and reports; minutes of the West Midland Group, 1941-1950, its four research Sub-Committees, 1941-1945; and of its other committees, 1941-1952, including the Planning Committee of the Herefordshire Survey, 1943, Land Classification Committee, 1943-1946, Conurbation Committee, 1943-1946 and Local Government Committee, 1948-1952.

In addition, the collection contains maps and charts and wall maps largely relating to the West Midlands. These include original field survey maps and charts relating to housing and industrial surveys, and maps and charts relating to land utilisation and classification, housing, amenities and services. A large number of these relate specifically to the county of Herefordshire and include historical maps, crop maps, sieve maps, service maps including distribution and intensity maps relating to road and rail communications and bus services. Maps and photographs used in some of the Group's publications are also included.

The collection is arranged in the following three sections:

WMG/1: Papers and correspondence (standard size boxes 1-38)
WMG/2: Maps and charts (large and outsized bundles 1-37)
WMG/3: Wall maps (outsized rolled or flat maps)

The West Midland Group on Post-War Reconstruction and Planning was formed in 1941, and over the next ten years in particular, it exercised a considerable influence in local and regional affairs. The first meeting was held at the University of Birmingham and those present were Dr R. E. Priestley, Vice-Chancellor of the University; Professor T. Bodkin, Barber Professor of Fine Arts at the University and Chairman of the Birmingham Civic Society; G. W. Cadbury of the Bournville Village Trust; P. S. Cadbury, Managing Director of Cadbury Bros; H. J. Manzoni, City Engineer and Surveyor of Birmingham City Council; and C. B. Parkes, Chief Architect to the Bournville Village Trust. Membership was enlarged to include, for example, Dr L. Dudley Stamp, Director of the Land Utilisation Survey of Great Britain. The Group thus brought together a number of influential people who, acting unofficially and largely in a voluntary capacity, contributed significantly to the development of planning thought and practice and post-war reconstruction in the West Midlands.

The origins of the Group can be traced from The 1940 Council to Promote the Planning of Social Environment which was formed in February 1940. The objectives of the Council were to put forward a programme of work for local groups to carry out regional research based on the principles set out in the nine unanimous conclusions of the Royal Commission for the Distribution of the Industrial Population (the Barlow Report) presented to Parliament the previous month. A minute of the 1940 Council, passed on 18 December 1940 and amended and confirmed on 22 January 1941, was that a small committee under the chairmanship of Dr Priestley should undertake research work as the Birmingham Research Committee of the 1940 Council. This was the basis of the constitution of the West Midland Group. However, the formation of the Group followed a visit by Sir Montague Barlow and the Group, developing its own approach to research, did not form part of the organisation of the 1940 Council.

The Group dedicated itself to research and, within a month of the approval of its constitution, a memorandum was produced which suggested the subject areas under which research might be conducted and which indicated the comprehensiveness of the Group's concern. These were: (1) the land, its uses and tenure; (2) the population, its growth and tendencies; (3) industries, including agriculture, their location, classification and mobility, employment figures; (4) cities, towns and urban centres; (5) regional communications including road, rail and canal; (6) services such as electricity, gas and water; (7) social services, health and education; (8) places of natural beauty and their preservation; and (9) recreational facilities. The area of the Group's interest was the five counties of the West Midlands: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Its main emphasis was research "into the relevant facts necessary for forming conclusions on the possible reconstruction and planning that the post-war situation will permit". The research was first organised under four sub-committees: Sub-Committee A: The land and its uses, the location of industry; Sub-Committee B; Cities, towns and urban centres; Sub-Committee C: Regional communications and services; Sub-Committee D: Population, social services, places of natural beauty and recreational services. Other committees were set up from time to time. Funds were provided by the Bournville Village Trust and research staff were appointed by or seconded from the Geography Department at the University of Birmingham.

The impact of the Group in planning circles was considerable at a time when local planning authorities, who were charged with the preparation of Development Plans in the 1940s, were embarking on the collection and analysis of a range of survey material. The Group provided, as examples, well produced regional surveys which established high standards of survey, analysis and presentation and these were followed up with recommendations for action. The Group's interests were also comprehensive, demonstrating concern not just for physical but also for the social aspects of planning.

The Group published its research in four main reports: English County: A Planning Survey of Herefordshire (Faber, 1946); Land Classification in the West Midland Region (Faber, 1947); Conurbation: A Planning Survey of Birmingham and the Black County (Architectural Press, 1948); Local Government and Central Control (Routledge, 1956). It also published a pamphlet: Control of the Use of Land and the Administrative and Financial Problems of Town Planning (1944).

Reference: University of Birmingham Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, 'Guide to the Papers of the West Midland Group on Post-War Reconstruction and Planning' Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, Occasional Paper No. 6, 1969