North Prospect

Swilly House was the first council estate built in Plymouth during the 1920s, primarily to accommodate officers settling back in Britain following the devastation of the First World War.

The council estate, designed with plenty of open space and trees, was prosperous up until the 1950s when the area began to get a reputation due to the economic and social problems of its residents.

Due to severe underinvestment by subsequent council administrations, Swilly, its housing stock and the community at large became increasingly vulnerable to criticism and even contempt.

Its name is still synonymous with economic depression and petty crime in Devon and Cornwall, though the widespread use of ASBOs and a new police station have gone some way to treat the minority who continue to foster the area's negative reputation.

An intensive building survey found a good proportion of the houses to suffer from untreatable damp and significant structural problems.

An investment of over £30 million is needed to improve the estate's housing stock and any large-scale re-development is likely to take many years and much public consultation.