Housing Visitor Report for the Month Ending the 28th February, 1973.

Ladywell, Howden, Knighstridge

 By and large the tenants of Knightsridge feel they are ‘pioneering’ and have a feeling of being out of contact with the rest of the town.

The feeling is partly engendered by being in West Lothian and the children attending schools in eans, Bathgate and Broxburn. As a good number have taken tenancy over the dark winter period there does not seem to have been the usual neighbourliness. One charming little staff nurse is feeling particularly ostracised but implies this is because she is coloured. She would have been happier in Deans where she has friends. She occupies a ground flat and the neighbours upstairs upset her while she is studying, although they are not unduly noisy. She may settle in better in April when her sister comes to live with her.

At one point where there are OAPs facing on to a cul-de-sac there is some ill feeling about it. A) They do not have cars themselves but have them parked there – in one case the cars are parked almost against the gable wall. B) The cars are a disturbance C) People are tending to use the parking bay for repairing cars.

Untaxed cars are lying about in various places on the schemes.

The residents in Knightsridge would like the mobile library service extended to their area and this is apparently under consideration. Several tenants in Ladywell have expressed the concern that they think the Corporation has been niggardly by installing false drawers in the kitchen where there was room for proper drawers and also the area under the sink is open.

There are complaints also that the plants put in by the LDC at the front are too near the house and impede window cleaning.

A picture of the community space in Knightsridge, 1979

The 10,000th House in Livingston was opened in Deans in the 1970s



Deans Community High school under construction in the 1970s



Ladywell/Howden/Knightsridge - Report for November 1972

Once again, I have found this month that new tenants are generally in employment, able to furnish their houses, and well prepared for coming here in that they know what to expect and are ready to make an effort to settle.

I would like to report that SWD is now fully staffed and much more able to take referrals from HV (LDC policy of more selective letting has also helped here). The SWD is now split into two teams – one for Ladywell/Howden/Calders and one for Craigshill/Balerno/Currie. This agrees with the areas of LDC HVs and AHOs.

There is an impression in the town that the employment situation is improving – several men I have known as long-term unemployed have started jobs. Again, the policy of selection has helped.

Three families I have spoken to are using a rented house as a ‘stop-gap’ until they can find accommodation to suit their (middle class) needs. It seems unfortunate that the town should lose these people to Bathgate, Edinburgh etc. As we do not provide housing which is ‘exclusive’ or ‘expensive’ enough.

We will be faced again this winter with many cases of disconnected electricity. Is there no way in which this can be prevented?

The information sheet for Knightsridge tenants has not yet been received, and Rev. Hughes has communicated his anxiety to me about the possibility a temporary community hall for the area.

I would like to note that the tenants of Whinbank seem particularly disconnected, although they do not mix with one another (or because they do not mix with one another)

Housing visitors’ Report for October 1972



Livingston was proud of its ability to attract industry,
but many still found it hard to find work. This image is
from Cameron Iron Works on Houstoun Industrial estate.
When it was built the iron works had the largest iron press
in Europe.



Again it was noted that the new tenants visited seem to be settling well, and that they are in employment, have furniture, and seem to be able to cope with the expense and problems of moving here.

The mood in town is that the employment situation is improving and I have noted a few men who have been able to gain employment here within a few weeks of coming to the town.

Since the current intake to Ladywell is financially ‘better off’ than that of last year, the problem of garage lets has been raised to me a few times by the new tenants.

Howden Park – since the opening of the Arts Centre, Howden House is often locked up during the day, and children who come to play in the park now have no toilet facilities available to them.



Livingston was constantly expanding. Many new schemes
had events to celebrate the work - this is an image from the
ceremony that began ALmondvale Bridge, which links
north and south Livingston



Knightsridge – people in Kr seem ready to grab any passing LDC official and pump for information as they know very little about the area (i.e. Kr not the town as a whole). Mostly, they do not have family or friends in the town (was this known?) and the general feeling is that it is an area where ‘people keep themselves’ – although everyone says this. They would all be very glad, they say, of a place to meet, and I think a notice board available to these tenants would be a boon as they are finding contacts, both with those who can help them, and with themselves, a problem. Can any facility be provided Kr this winter?

Note:  in addition to the visits or the returns, there were 76 visits to pensioners in Deans for the garden survey.