This film is part of Free

Corbett Street Flats

The Boulton Place flats in Smethwick are 14 years old but some residents who used to be proud to live there want them pulled down. What's gone wrong?

News 1970 3 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

Sue Jay talks to residents of Boulton Place, a 1950s flats complex off Corbett Street in Smethwick. Silver fish, rats and vandalism are the issues of concern. The latter seems to be the biggest problem and at its core is the generation gap between the older residents and the young people vilified for their noise and disruption. When the local council spokesman talks about using bullwhips and shooting youngsters you know something has gone very wrong.

Subjects