It’s known for it’s spectacular gardens but festive season is when Boughton House really comes into its own with a flurry of Christmas events to bring extra cheer and sparkle 40+ fab things to do across Northants, Leicestershire and Rutland in April 30+ things to do with the kids this Easter 6 reasons to soak in some culture at this year's Nevill Holt Festival Superflash! New foodie hotspots and festival fun May Days! 50+ things to do near you this month Hot ticket! Unmissable headline acts at Godiva Festival this summer Go wild at The Food Library's Summer Solstice Residential Beautiful bluebell walks in Northants, Leics & Rutland Don't already know how splendiferous we are? Read the Muddy Stilettos story We love to connect with like-minded brands and clients. If you’re interested in working with us click here for national and regional contacts. Whether you want to leave your feedback, ask a question or need help - click here to get in touch with us Reader Treats Terms & ConditionsRead our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions here Boughton Leigh Junior School in Rugby showcase their specialist resourced provision With the growing number of Specialist Resourced Provisions throughout Warwickshire, Boughton Leigh Junior School in Rugby offers a look inside The Launchpad sharing an insight into a typical day and the difference the provision is making to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  The Launchpad Specialist Resourced Provision (SRP) was established six years ago with funding from Warwickshire County Council to provide specialist support to pupils struggling to engage in a typical classroom environment Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who can access the curriculum the setting is able to offer a nurturing learning environment and helps them to develop improved social and communication skills while also supporting their academic progress Supporting up to eight children at any time The Launchpad provides a dedicated space to support pupils’ learning and wellbeing with sensory areas and equipment creating a sense of calm and a well-equipped outdoor space giving further opportunities to enhance pupils’ development.  Sharing a site with both Boughton Leigh Infant and Junior Schools The Launchpad allows pupils to remain within a mainstream school setting while receiving the support they need within their local community Specialist staff deliver a curriculum tailored to the needs of each child and pupils are well-integrated into mainstream school life being able to return to class when they feel ready meet their peers for lunch and join wider school trips Find out more about the provision and get a glimpse into a typical day at The Launchpad in this new film: .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Talking about the value of their resourced provision Specialist Teacher for Boughton Leigh Junior School “It’s made a massive difference having the Specialist Resourced Provision at Boughton Leigh Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who have previously struggled to access the curriculum in a mainstream setting and in some instances children who have been unable to attend school due to emotional or anxiety-related absence The current cohort all attend for five days a week and access a personalised curriculum adapted to suit their needs We ensure that all children have the option to visit their mainstream classes with support from our specialist staff and provide regular opportunities to ensure children feel part of the whole school community.”  Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for education “In Warwickshire we are committed to ensuring that every child and young person has access to high-quality education and the support needed to achieve their full potential and we believe that Specialist Resourced Provisions (SRP) have a key role to play in delivering this.    “The Launchpad at Boughton Leigh Junior School is a shining example of the type of inclusive provision we are looking to expand across the county as we continue to work with mainstream settings to provide enhanced opportunities for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Increasing the number of places we can offer in SRPs will give more children and young people the chance to access the specialist support they need while remaining in a familiar environment and within their local community As well as ensuring the curriculum is accessible through a tailored approach this provides them with important opportunities to develop their social skills maintain relationships with their peers and better equip them for a bright and fulfilling future.”  Warwickshire County Council aims to increase the number of Specialist Resourced Provision places from the current 176 to over 500 as part of the Delivering Better Value in SEND programme Schools currently involved in this transformative programme include Oakley Secondary School Enhancing specialist resource provisions is an important component of the Education Transformation Programme This initiative aims to create a more effective and efficient Education Service in Warwickshire ensuring that every child and young person has access to high-quality education and the support needed to achieve their full potential You can find a full list of the current resourced provisions in Warwickshire here.  To find out more about SEND support in Warwickshire visit the Local Offer webpages or like and follow the Local Offer Facebook page.  Beans Boughton MW is a judge at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) Beans Boughton MW is an experienced wine buyer and category manager with over 15 years in the wine trade Beans is a new addition to the well-established team at Alliance Wines He has broad experience in buying from all key wine-producing regions and consulting on routes to market and range optimization In his most recent role as fine wine category manager for MMI the largest fine wine distributor in the Middle East he was responsible for daily assessment of the world’s most sought-after and tightly allocated wines He also coached sommeliers and sales teams and advised private clients on investment strategy which examined the impact of winery principals’ market visits on brand performance in Dubai Beans joined for the first time as a judge for the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023 Follow Beans on Instagram See more judges for 2025 DWWA Social landlords should be allowed to charge higher rents on homes that guarantee zero energy bills told Inside Housing that social and affordable rent caps were deterring councils and housing associations from building homes with sustainable technology like solar panels Mr Boughton has written to energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh and chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones calling for councils and housing associations to be able to keep a portion of the energy savings from green homes He said that the additional costs for delivering ‘zero bills’ homes are reducing but are currently estimated at £8,000 to £15,000 per home Batteries are likely to need replacement every 12 to 15 years at a current cost of £6,000 “With the standard social rent and affordable rent caps in place it is not possible to recover these extra costs and this creates a significant barrier for housing association and council adoption of the zero-bills approach,” he said social tenants would “still be better off” as energy bills are typically £100 to £250 a month “This flexibility would allow housing associations and councils to build zero-bills homes as standard and shield residents from rising energy costs,” he added West Sussex-based Thakeham struck a deal with Octopus Energy in September to deliver a ‘zero-bills’ tariff on all its new developments Octopus Energy aims to create 100,000 zero-bills homes by 2030 “We’ve got the ability to deliver net-zero homes “Let’s make this work for the affordable sector Let’s give them a bit of [energy savings] back and they can do it across all new homes they’re delivering it brings the cost down of every battery and every solar panel and every air source heat pump.” Mr Boughton also said it was “slightly frustrating” that reports suggest a new Future Homes Standard will not kick in until 2027 “A lot of actors look to the legislation to tell them what to do,” he said Thakeham currently has a land portfolio of 45,000 homes said that new towns are “a really good way” of delivering homes and creating employment opportunities but added that they require “government sponsorship He said the closure of the arms-length Office for Place with the team being redeployed within the Ministry of Housing “Simplifying the number of people we deal with… has got to be a good thing,” he said Rather than focusing on architecture and design codes he suggested ministers should set out a “template benchmark” of requirements for new towns The chief executive said it was “as difficult at the moment as I ever remember it” to sell Section 106 affordable homes to housing associations Currently Thakeham is still able to offload Section 106 homes to social landlords but “I’m not convinced that we’re going to be able to keep doing that forever” unless the government provides more funding for the social sector Mr Boughton said he did not understand Labour’s proposals in its new draft National Planning Policy Framework that stipulate any development on green belt land must be 50% affordable housing “When it comes to the mechanics of the economics I’m not entirely sure I understand why it’s any different to anywhere else,” he said “If the aim across the country is 40% [affordable] the aim across the green belt should be 40% as well.” An MHCLG spokesperson said: “The government launched a consultation at Budget on a future social housing rent policy that would permit rents to increase by up to CPI+1% each year for five years from 2026 We will be carefully considering all responses to that consultation.” The Treasury was also approached for comment New to Inside Housing? Click here to register and receive our weekly development and finance round-up straight to your inbox Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters Powered by Bury Free Press, Suffolk Free Press, Newmarket Journal & Haverhill Echo Powered by Bury Free Press, Suffolk Free Press, Newmarket Journal and Haverhill Echo Home   Bury St Edmunds   News   Article Firefighters were alerted to a ‘well alight’ car on the outskirts of a town centre Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service was called to Boughton Way One engine from Bury used a hose reel to extinguish the blaze Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Virginia Marie Boughton (Ginny) of Cedar Hills Ginny dedicated her life to her family and faith found her greatest joy in caring for her husband Her dedication to her family was unwavering and her home was always filled with love and service and she cherished the memories of growing up with them during the Great Depression She leaves behind her loving children: Robert Brian (Cindy) Boughton Lisa Marie (Lee) Buttles and Kevin Tracy (Kristin) Boughton Maggie (Brenden Lei) Molly (Brandon Eldridge) and Maxwell Timothy Ralph and soon to be Baby William are great grandchildren from parents Molly and Brandon who will continue to cherish her memory and the values she instilled in them She is preceded in death by her parents Florence and Albert and dedication to her family will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew her We would like to thank and for be forever grateful for the love and care that Ginny received from the wonderful people at Charleston Care Center and also Rachael with Hospice In lieu of flowers or a tree please make a donation to St Peters Catholic Church This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors William Boughton with the Yale Symphony Orchestra In Tuesday’s (12/3) Yale Daily News (Connecticut) will bid farewell to the symphony at the end of the 2024-25 academic year Boughton … was born into a musical family and studied at the New England Conservatory Guildhall School of Music and Prague Academy he worked in London playing with the Royal Philharmonic and London Sinfonietta Orchestra and for the BBC commissioning over 20 new works … He built an impressive repertoire with numerous recordings … Prior to YSO he helmed the New Haven Symphony Orchestra for 12 years as its 10th music director… He established a studio and taught cello to low-income students in New Haven He also built the NHSO education department and worked with state and regional youth orchestras… Boughton said that YSO’s student musicians play from their hearts ‘sharing [their] love for music with each other and the audience.’… Since 2014 Boughton has taught at the Yale School of Music He will continue to do so after stepping down from this post.” , the award-winning publication of the League of American Orchestras discusses issues critical to the orchestra community and communicates to the American public the value and importance of orchestras and the music they perform Boughton has long been passionate about music He was born into a musical family and studied at the New England Conservatory he formed the English String Orchestra commissioning over 20 new works and recording 80 popular pieces He built an impressive repertoire with numerous recordings reaching the Top Ten in the U.S he served as conductor and director of the orchestra for 25 years His English roots are seen in his “appropriately” British tea set which YSO publicity chair Erin Nishi ’25 and other YSO members saw in Boughton’s office during auditions and board meetings “William was dedicated to making your New Haven Symphony Orchestra a landmark American orchestra,” Elaine Caroll He also built the NHSO education department and worked with State and Regional Youth Orchestras Despite working with numerous groups of musicians “sharing [their] love for music with each other and the audience.” He said that this facet truly distinguishes it from other orchestras he’s worked with Boughton said that creating music extends beyond the performance of one particular section According to YSO President Keeley Brooks ’25 Boughton aims for each individual member to play as though they are leading to create a more cohesive and confident sound overall “[My favorite part is] building a collective that rises above the mechanics of just playing the notes to create an experience that inspires and elevates the soul,” said Boughton While YSO members expressed appreciation for Boughton’s music expertise care and commitment to the symphony orchestra in YSO members truly make him stand apart this care even reaches individual students “At the height of the Maui wildfires last summer Maestro Boughton took the time to message his concern and well wishes to me and my family living in Hawaii,” Nishi said “The fact that he remembered the home state of one of his 100+ students was thoughtful in itself but his reaching out to show he cared meant so much to me during such a frightening time.” Skills that may not be found on Boughton’s resumé is his “legendary Wiffle Ball prowess” and his cold-calling of students during rehearsal Boughton is departing YSO to try a few new things “before [his] time runs out,” he said.  While Boughton’s successor hasn’t yet been selected which includes a student assistant conductor Boughton is “not only receptive to student input” but considers student engagement to be a vital part of the organization She said it was an “honor” to serve on the student leadership board during his tenure.  He will continue to do so after stepping down from his post “It means a lot to have a leader that is actively thinking about how building a positive culture in the organization will translate to our musical performances on the stage,” said Brooks Maestro Boughton will conduct his final concert at Woolsey Hall on April 23 Director of Athletics Quin Monahan has announced the hiring of Gary Boughton as the next head coach of the USCB women's soccer team He is the third head coach in program history "I'm thrilled to welcome Coach Gary Boughton and his family to our Sand Shark family," Monahan said thoroughly vetting well over 150 applicants and attitude USCB and the Lowcountry will be excited about I'm confident Coach Boughton will put us in a place to contend for Peach Belt Conference championships and compete on the national level It's another great day to be a Sand Shark!"  Boughton comes to the Lowcountry after spending the past six seasons leading the Trine Thunder Trine posted a 57-36-14 record including three seasons of 10 or more wins "I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity Quin and the Sand Shark community have afforded me and my family," Boughton said The Thunder reached the MIAA tournament four times and twice made it to the MIAA finals During the 2021 campaign his team made it to the first round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament ultimately falling to Carnegie Mellon 2-1 in double overtime he served as the head coach at SUNY Erie College in Buffalo Boughton turned the program into a perennial regional and national power in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) the team reached the Regional Finals three times winning two out of three and appearing in the National Championship Game in 2016; finishing the season as National Runners-Up Boughton's team earned a #1 National Ranking for the first time in program history He finished his career with the Kats with a 64-25-3 record Coach Boughton graduated from Medaille College in 2009 with a degree in sports management During his playing career he played and started in 84 matches while leading the AMCC powerhouse program as captain during his junior and senior seasons His records of 82 assists and .95 career assists per game still stand at the DIII level to this day Boughton continued his career playing for multiple professional teams over a 10-year span "I'm eager to get to work and help elevate our program establishing our identity as one of the toughest teams in the region to play against." William “Billy” Eubank Boughton Billy was born in Glenns to the late Katherine and Percy Boughton Billy started working for the Chesapeake Corporation West Point where he then became a dedicated employee working for 37 years He was also a dedicated member of Saluda Baptist Church where he enjoyed worship and fellowship with many friends Billy is preceded in death by his parents; Percy and Katherine Boughton He is survived by his loving wife Janine Boughton two wonderful children; Marie Thornton (Brian) and William Boughton The family welcomes friends to a graveside service on Tuesday Nita May of Saluda Baptist Church officiating Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text Home   News   Article Two people have been prohibited from entering any property garden or driveway in a town without permission Nottinghamshire have been subjects of Criminal Behaviour Orders They are prohibited from entering any property garden or driveway at any time unless they have permission from the owner Shaw has the exception of being allowed to enter Well Pharmacy between 10am and 11am daily Sherwood Police is asking the community to report it immediately if they see any of the individuals on Forest Road They can do so by calling 999 and stating that they are in breach of the Criminal Behaviour Order — News Channel Nebraska is proud to announce Kent Boughton at NCN’s new chief forecaster Boughton brings more than 50 years of experience in broadcasting and a deep knowledge of Nebraska weather to statewide TV The Grand Island native will deliver weathercasts in the afternoon and evenings Monday through Thursday on NCN "I'm very happy to be starting my new position at News Channel Nebraska," Boughton said "I'm doing what I love to do: tracking the weather for our Nebraska viewers and beyond."  HOW TO WATCH NCN  Boughton started broadcasting at the age of 15 in Grand Island and built a career that earned him a spot in the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame “We are thrilled to add Kent Boughton to our News Channel Nebraska team,” Vice President of News and Content Michael Shively said “His knowledge of Nebraska weather patterns and ability to relate to viewers is unparalleled We are excited to introduce him to a new statewide audience.” NCN CHANNEL FINDER  Boughton will broadcast from a weather studio constructed in the News Channel Nebraska and Telemundo Nebraska office on 4th St He will be reunited with NCN evening anchor Dave Griek The duo has more than a decade of experience working together as a local broadcast team Boughton will make his NCN debut on Monday His weathercasts will start airing at 4:00 p.m The Boughton Farm, operated by family since the 19th century in Copley Township, will become the next Summit County Metro Park, the parks system announced Tuesday About 87 acres of the farm that was a fixture of the township will become the district's 17th metro park The land is being donated to the park district from the Western Reserve Land Conservancy which bought most of the farm late last year vice president of Western Field Operations for the conservancy said in a phone interview Wednesday that the acquisition had been in the works since 2022 He said the transfer to the park district will be completed in the next couple of weeks 'This is a great project'During negotiations with the Boughton family Summit Metro Parks executive director Lisa King and other park employees took a tour of the property "It didn't take long for Lisa and others on staff to say 'This is great project and we would like to be involved,'" McDowell said one of 10 family members who decided to sell the land said Tuesday that buildings on the farm used to clean pack and store vegetables weren't part of the sale The buildings are located at the end of Boughton Drive News accounts of the farm and Boughton family reach back to 1892 with an article about farm owner Truman Boughton traveling to Chicago to get married Boughton will be 79 years of age next August but when he returns he will bring with him a blushing bride," the Akron Beacon and Republican wrote in its March 16 Truman Broughton was in the news again after dying from injuries sustained when he and his wife were thrown by runaway horses Charlie Boughton said a field was opened in the 1930s that provided some of the best growing area on the property they decided they wanted to farm some of this (area)," he said The felled trees were given away as firewood so people impoverished in the Great Depression could have something to heat their homes the farm concentrated on developing its potato crop The buildings retained by the family were used to clean "(Then they) got into pick-your-own vegetables," he said "The first crop that went in real (big) was green beans." a vast variety of vegetables were grown on the farm He and other children in the family worked on the farm and his uncle Edward ran the farm for decades before Richard Boughton article in the Akron Beacon Journal said about 50 acres of the farm at the time were given to potatoes Charlie Boughton said he helped cut and harvest the celery crop while he was still in school."That's what put me through college," he said Richard Boughton announced in March 2021 that 2020 had been the last year for the farm "After 75 years, the farmer has retired and the farm will remain closed," the family posted on the farm's Facebook page King said Wednesday that plans for the property will be developed in coming months and years "Having a park in Copley is a wonderful milestone for us," she said "I hate that it's taken literally over 100 years to have a metro park in Copley." King said the park will pay tribute to its rich farming history with interpretive panels and employees who can speak about its past with visitors "One of our favorite things to do is tell the stories of our properties," she said McDowell said the purchase of the Boughton Farm was unusual because of the family's unified consensus "To work with a family that had 10 ownership interests involved (and) to have all of them agree to sell this for conservation purposes is extremely unusual," he said The park will nearly double the amount of parkland acres in Copley Township Although a master plan hasn't been developed yet public parking and a hiking trail will be part of the new park "(We'll be) sitting down later this summer to start a master planning process," she said Girl Scouts will plant about 1,200 trees on the property said he and other family members were pleased with the sale to the conservancy we could be looking in someone else's back yard," he said Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or Facebook at www.facebook.com/alan.newsman Madeline Boughton is Programme Director of the MSc in Public Relations & Strategic Communications (MScPR) and Assistant Professor of Public Relations and Strategic Communications in the School of Communications communications management and media audiences researching the role and instrumentalisation of the arts as a tool of nation branding Madeline has over twenty-five years’ experience working in senior management in the arts and international cultural relations in Ireland and abroad with a range of organisations including Culture Ireland Draíocht (Blanchardstown) and Music Generation As Director of Showcases with Culture Ireland she developed a network of high-profile Irish art-form showcases at key international festivals and venues including Edinburgh Madeline was appointed Director of Communications with Ireland 2016 the State programme to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising She continued in her role as Director of Communications with the Creative Ireland Programme an all-of-government culture-based initiative to place creativity at the centre of public policy As an independent arts and communications consultant the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland and the Hugh Lane Gallery  A former Artistic Director of Dublin Youth Theatre and Chair of Pan Pan Theatre Company and the Liz Roche Company the multi-award-winning contemporary dance theatre company based in Dingle DCU Prospectus - Back to MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications It was meant to be a project that gave back to nature by creating a tranquil pond in his garden But a farmer has managed to dig himself into deep water after his pride and joy left him embroiled in a “frustrating” planning row built a 38m long and 25m wide pond within the grounds of his home in Boughton a tiny hamlet close to the village of Stoke Ferry while closer to the edge it is much shallower He began the project in 2022 and two years later it is now beginning to flourish as his plants grow and wildlife begins to make it their home someone reported his excavation to West Norfolk Council which then launched an investigation to see if enforcement action was necessary He has since been embroiled in an ongoing planning dispute which he feels is causing unnecessary hassle and a potential bill of hundreds of pounds in fees The 68-year-old said: “This is a time in my life that I want to be putting into the garden but instead I’m spending it jumping through hoops with the council in the past we used chemicals which we now know are harmful to the environment It is my attempt at giving something back to nature and also creating something nice in my garden “The council is meant to be proactive in encouraging nature conservation Will people be hassled for laying a patio?” Mr Rivett moved into the property with his wife in 2007 They have since been slowly creating their dream garden taking inspiration from National Trust sites such as Hyde Hall in Essex was mostly dug by himself and it has since become a home to bugs and a family of ducks that have returned for two years The previous owners had built a tennis court there but this was removed to make way for the pond the water system for which is self-sufficient through being powered by solar and wind energy Planning regulations are murky when it comes to ponds They are considered “permitted developments” but it depends on the scale of the water feature A spokeswoman for West Norfolk Council said: “Mr Rivett needs planning permission because of the scale of the excavation; technically it is considered to be operational development are likely to need permission if of sufficient size.” who spends lots of his time caring for his bees sheep and llamas that live in an adjacent field feels planning officers were “unnecessarily suspicious” when they inspected his property – a visit arranged last minute “It felt like his eyes were everywhere,” he said adding: “It was like they were looking for something to catch me out on.” He says he has been given conflicting advice during his communications with the council adding further confusion as to what is the best course of action to gain approval for his pond as the council has said it is keen to work “proactively” with Mr Rivett to bring the matter to a close A spokeswoman added: “We can confirm that no enforcement notice has been served and we appreciate that an application has been made to regularise the situation We will work proactively with Mr Rivett to move this matter forward.” Click here to read Your Local Paper & Lynn News e-editions which will provide a space for skills development Boughton Community Hub was officially opened yesterday (May 18) by Lee Brazier portfolio holder for housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council; Celia Brooks chairman of Newark and Sherwood District Council; and Linda Tift The hub will provide a base for tenants and residents to work with the council and partner organisations to tackle issues affecting the area It will also be used as a space for the community’s groups and clubs to meet and provide vocational and academic courses for residents Construction on the hub started at the beginning of this year to transform the three-bedroom council house into an impressive community space featuring a new ramped external entrance complete with computers and internet access for residents Residents will benefit from face-to-face contact at the hub for a variety of enquiries about council and partner services and community safety and security concerns officers from Newark and Sherwood District Council were at the hub to talk to residents about how they can use the hub and whether they had any suggestions for other ways the hub could be used to benefit the community Families took part in the exciting activities throughout the day including helping with the new graffiti wall artwork enjoying entertainment from live musicians and taking part in sports games provided by Active4Today The hub has been partly funded through the council's allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Opening hours for the hub are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. There will also be times when the hub will be open from 6pm to 9pm for evening events. For more information visit the hub’s webpage portfolio holder for housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: "I am so pleased to officially open our brand-new hub at Boughton The hub will be so important for so many residents and will make such a massive difference in the lives of the local community It will make it much easier for residents to come and talk to us access support and resolve any issues they may have "I am committed to ensuring that tenant and resident views continue to be at the heart of this project and that it continues to reflect the wants of local people if anyone has any suggestions of what they would like to see at the hub "This hub is for the community of Boughton Please do pop in and say hello to our team who will be based here — we are here to help." This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page but the page you are looking for doesn't exist Serving the Middle Peninsula and surrounding areas since 1896 I believe he saw in them a dystopia.' (A Clockwork Orange) Kubrick’s American filmographer Alison Castle offered what is probably the most common contemporary understanding of that scene: “Kubrick’s choice of Thamesmead showed a very prescient instinct for how this architecture was deeply misguided and even hostile She was reiterating an all-too-common contempt for other Sixties estates. But John Grindrod, Britain’s foremost chronicler of post-war modernism, saw something very different in that scene: “The town’s formal beauty lakes and crisp white architecture were enhanced by his use of classical music to make the scenes of sudden violence even more shocking and incongruous.” In the early Seventies as it was dubbed when the Greater London Council embarked upon the “Woolwich-Erith Project” in 1966 was to “create a reservoir of housing for decanting population from the hard-pressed inner area” the form of its early implementation was exhilarating These two senses of Thamesmead — coexisting interpretations of it as dystopian and utopian — are now in open warfare against each other The social housing provider Peabody has unveiled a proposal to demolish the Lesnes Estate an area of almost 600 homes located just to the south of Southmere Lake protesting against both the loss of their own homes and the nature of their proposed replacement their conflict is a microcosm of a broader battle in British social housing: one which pits developers’ ambitions to radically redevelop estates against both the interests of those who live in them and the model of communal living they symbolise the chief protagonist — they certainly wouldn’t consider themselves the villain of the piece — is Peabody one of our largest social housing providers and the organisation that was seen to be coming to the rescue of Thamesmead when it took over its management back in 2014 the Thamesmead project was widely judged to have failed around half of the 60,000 originally planned The new town seemed remote and forlorn; to some even a kind of giant “sink estate” inhabited by people housed from waiting lists lacking the choice or opportunity to live somewhere better and ground-floor garaging of the Lesnes Estate blocks in the first phase South Thamesmead’s development reflected this location too but also the contemporary planning ideal that cars and people should be separated for what seemed obvious reasons of health and safety is the form of the 1,500 homes built around Southmere Lake in this phase of construction Four 13-storey towers line the southern edge of the lake adjacent to a (since demolished) ziggurat-style half-mile long spinal block along Binsey Walk and Coralline Walk forming a barrier between its eastern shore and the arterial A2401 all constructed in the gleaming white concrete panels of the Balency system of prefabrication The artists’ impressions and early photographs of Thamesmead would surely turn the head of even the most hardened traditionalist The conventional explanation for Thameside’s failure is straightforward The new town was isolated by the abandonment of projected transport connections to Greater London via an extension to the Jubilee Line and a new river crossing The failure to provide facilities within the scheme was equally damaging: the first residents moved in 1968 the first school in the same year and the health centre two years later — but incredibly the first shops not till 1971 later phases pursued a far more conventionally suburban pattern of design and construction though possibly one better fitted to popular tastes By Jonathan Glancey Since one of its oft-stated aims is “the creation of a more mixed community at South Thamesmead” this must have been music to the ear of Peabody the devil is in the detail and implementation What does that “more mixed community” look like in the context of plans to demolish the Lesnes Estate It means the construction of 1,849 homes to replace the 596 to be cleared It means directly the replacement of 411 social and “affordable” rent homes with 368 of which 307 are to be let at “London Affordable Rent” and just 61 (intended for existing residents who wish to remain) at social rent Peabody suggests that residents have approved the scheme 70% of residents approved (in a ballot in which two-thirds voted) the following statement: “Are you in favour of Peabody’s proposal to include Lesnes Estate in their regeneration plans for South Thamesmead?” The glossy leaflet advertising the vote urged residents to “Please read” and to “not throw away summarise their anger: “Most of us here are retired and we have worked our lives to pay and to say ‘this is our home’ and then Peabody come in to tell us we cannot live here and they want to take our property The protest has also drawn the support of a wide range of housing activists opposed to the form of council -state regeneration in recent years — a familiar tale of “densification” in which developers build significantly more “units” (I’ll use the jargon for once) and yet contrive a net loss of social rent housing; in which profits accrued by the sale of homes for purchase or private rental all too frequently fail to benefit existing residents let alone the 300,000 households on social housing waiting lists in London and the 170,000 (half of them children) living in temporary accommodation Peabody will resent the banners proclaiming “Housing for Need not Greed” but they resonate strongly for the many displaced by estate regeneration Finally, at a time of climate crisis, should we really demolishing buildings — with all the loss of embodied carbon entailed — that could be effectively retrofitted to meet current environmental standards? Peabody have referred to the “poor quality and dated appearance” of the current estate but residents testify to its comfort and structural soundness By Fred Skulthorpe the “biggest collective leap in living standards in British history” there were obvious and avoidable planning missteps that undermined its potential but it has suffered equally from the perfect storm of circumstances that have undermined and marginalised social housing more broadly in recent decades The statutory right to social housing given in 1977 to those in “priority need” was a well-intentioned and progressive measure in a subsequent era when social housing stock was sharply reduced by Right to Buy (well over 300,000 social rent homes have been lost in London alone) and the near cessation of new-builds it has led to what sociologists call the “residualisation” of social housing — the perception that it is It has never been that to the millions who have benefitted from the decent secure and affordable homes it has offered; it is not that now to the many in desperate housing need We must build a new generation of social rent homes supported by direct public investment — expenditure that by every rational calculation saves far money in the long-term than it costs in the short-term We need more homes and we need more social housing The plans and protests at the Lesnes Estate illustrate precisely why the former should not be achieved at the expense of the latter John Boughton is the author of Municipal Dreams: the Rise and Fall of Council Housing and the blog Municipal Dreams Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Please click here to view our media pack for more information on advertising and partnership opportunities with UnHerd Milly Boughton is about to experience a truly special moment.  West Ham United Women’s WSL Academy midfielder has been called up for the first time by Australia U20s for their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers.  The young Matildas will face Guam and hosts Kyrgyz Republic in Group C of the round one qualifiers with the group winner progressing to round two in June 2023 The selection of the squad has followed three training camps and international matches over the past six months but moved to New South Wales when she was two with her family spending 14 years down under before deciding to move back to England to pursue her dream of becoming a professional footballer.  She can vividly remember her first trial with West Ham United “I’d only arrived back in the UK the day before,” Boughton told whufc.com “I can remember being incredibly jetlagged when I turned up on the day and there were so many players that had come along to try out.  “We played a lot of matches and I remember coming away and thinking that I’d been alright but I wasn’t too sure that I’d done enough because there were a lot of really good players that had come to trial.  I remember being told by one of the coaches that I’d been selected and two weeks later I was playing for West Ham against Hashtag United in a pre-season friendly “I wanted to move back to England because I wanted more competition and a tougher environment and being in the academy at West Ham has given me that.” A 3-1 defeat against the Tags wasn’t to be Boughton's last taste of mixing in with the first team as the youngster has spent time at Chadwell Heath training with the rest of the squad.  Macey Nicholls and Soraya Walsh in training with the likes of Kate Longhurst Grace Fisk and Abbey-Leigh Stringer whilst their colleagues were away on international duty.  The experience once again reaffirmed to Boughton that there is a pathway into the first-team squad should she continue to work hard and take her chances with the U21s side.  “When I first trained with the first team at Chadwell I was really taken back by how quick it was and I wasn’t prepared for that “Now I’m prepared a lot better by Stephen (Opoka) and his coaching team – it’s not as hard and I am able to fit in a lot better It’s been a really rewarding experience for me – I’m taking everything that I’m learning from being involved in those session back into the academy with me – like making sure I’m keeping the intensity and driving it.  “I know when I’m training with better players I’m improving because they’re keeping the intensity so taking that into the academy and doing that can not only help me because we’re setting the standards of what is needed to be involved with the first team which is ultimately what we’re all aiming for.” Boughton has started 12 matches this season scoring eight goals – helping the Hammers to seventh place in the WSL Academy League Southern Division.  Now she prepares to fly out to Central Asia an experience that she hopes she will help her when she returns to east London for the remainder of the campaign.  “I was really surprised to be selected,” Boughton explained “I talked to the Australia coach (Leah Blayney) and she was in contact with me a lot making sure I was training and playing lots of games to prepare me for these matches that are coming up “I’m really excited and it’s my first international - I’ve worked so hard for this and I feel like it’s come at a good time for me “I also have to thank the coaches at the Academy and with the first team because I’ve definitely improved as a player since coming to the Club – they’ve been really good at getting across where I need to improve and that’s really helped.” Boughton and Australia will take on Guam on Tuesday 7 March at 2pm GMT whilst they will also face Kyrgyz Republic on Saturday 11 March at 2pm GMT – both matches will be played at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Milly well whilst she is away on international duty.  For enquiries about the West Ham United Women's Academy, please email [email protected] Site designed & built by Other Media, powered by Clubcast