Postwar is the period of time immediately following the end of World War II. It led to vast improvement schemes in towns and cities.
During the first 10 years, life was slow as rationing remained and industry had to recover. From 1955 onwards, the economy began to prosper and redevelopment areas were created in the aim of promoting regeneration of vast areas with modern development.
The postwar period led to large construction schemes not before witnessed in the country. It is also the period in which family sizes boomed leading to another surge in housing construction. Initially this was low-rise houses, however, these were insufficient in size and number which sparked the construction of multi-storey housing and tower blocks.
Council estates were built all over the country. After this came New towns and overspill towns, such as Chelmsley Wood. The postwar construction boom lasted from 1955 to the mid-1970s when the economy began to deteriorate. Construction reached its peak during the 1960s. The vast amount of output resulted in a lack of quality which saw structural failings in many tower blocks and buildings. The tragedy at Ronan Point in London highlighted this. So poor was the construction quality that the first demolition works of such buildings began as early as the 1980s. This demolition was also spurred by a turn of public opinion towards the design of the buildings.