Homes made from WW2 metals could be demolished

The bungalows in Letchworth were built in 1950 and 1951 by A W Hawksley Ltd

Sixty bungalows that were built in the 1950s from surplus metals from World War Two aircraft could be torn down to make way for new homes.

The developer, Settle, wants to build 157 new homes in the Campfield Way area of Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

Twenty-eight flats, which date back to the 1930s, would also be demolished as part of the plans.

The developer said it wanted to improve the "quality of life" of residents living there.

Some of the properties that would be demolished are empty.

Plans have been submitted to North Herts Council.

The new homes would be a mixture of two, three, four or five-bedroom bungalows or houses, and one, two or three-bedroom flats

Settle said all the new homes would be classed as affordable, and in its planning application, it promised the new properties would provide "homes for the existing residents that meet their individual needs, improving their quality of life with improved accessibility, adequate space and bedrooms for each family, and to a quality that would mitigate fuel poverty and address the climate emergency".

The 60 bungalows, built in 1950 and 1951, have a lifespan of 60 years, the planning documents said.

The plans feature almost 1km (0.62 miles) of native hedgerow planting on the site with 1.14km (0.7 miles) of ornamental non-native planting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There would be "village greens" and a large park.

A W Hawksley Ltd, which made the bungalows, built planes including the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle, which the Royal Air Force’s 295 Squadron used during the Normandy landings on D-Day.

Towards the end of World War Two, Hawksley switched from building aircraft to producing aluminium panels for prefabricated homes, including aluminium salvaged from scrapped aircraft.