William Alexander Harvey

Born into an artistic family, Harvey studied architecture at the Municipal School of Art in Birmingham, and was appointed by George Cadbury to work on houses in Bournville in 1895 aged just 20.

The particulars stated that it was: "intended to make it easy for working men to own houses with large gardens, secure from the dangers of being spoilt either by factories, or by the interference with the enjoyment of sun, light and air".

Influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, many of Harvey's designs incorporated arty features such as stepped gables, small Venetian windows over canted bays, timber corner porches below dormers with very concave little leaded roofs.

His 1906 book on model villages helped establish him as an expert on low cost housing and his schemes were employed by several English local authorities.

From 2006 onwards, a section of the Lightmoor development at Telford was led by the Trust, recognising the longevity of the social and aesthetic principles demonstrated at Bournville and in other English garden suburbs.