Back in 1970 the tenants of the Berger Estate in Ladysmith Road and Burbridge Way formed a tenant’s association. Initially, the primary purpose was to hold the then landlord to account. Eventually, the landlord, part of the Berger Group, was taken to court because the properties were dilapidated due to lack of maintenance. The whole estate was in a state of disrepair.

In 1976 the tenants won the court action and in agreement with the landlord formed the Ladybur Housing Co-operative (hence our name, taken from our address Ladysmith Road and Burbridge Way). We raised a mortgage, bought the buildings, and refurbished them. In 1999 we bought the freehold to the land with a mortgage from Barclays Bank and in 2002 we acquired some adjacent land and built our offices and a block of 6 flats. We named that building Wells Court after the principle person involved in setting up Ladybur Housing Co-operative, Mr Bill Wells.

Since the setting up of Ladybur Housing, the voluntary committee with guidance from the estate manager, have maintained a programme of maintenance and upgrading on the estate. A five-year cycle of cyclical maintenance is in place to keep the exterior of the estate looking smart. Upgrades are continuous but include the installation of a HD CCTV system to cover the estate. Intruder alarms were fitted to all properties. Perimeter metal fencing erected for additional security. Resurfacing of the estate roads from concrete to tarmac. Smoke detectors fitted to every property. Flat roof to pitched roof conversion took place in 2005. The old communal boilers have been replaced along with new radiators and associated pipework around 2008.

2010 onwards saw the addition of new garden areas built for ground floor units. The estate electrics has been tested and upgraded with the installation of new consumer units fitted to all properties. 2016 saw the replacement of the UPVC windows and doors including the installation of new fire doors where appropriate. 2018 saw a marked change with wall murals painted by artist Alessandra Tortone. In 2019 the common lighting was upgraded to LED. 2020 saw another new set of boiler installation to help reduce our carbon footprint. We are committed to keeping our estate and all our properties in a good state of repair and maintenance through our continuous improvement programme. All our contractors are regulated and meet or exceeds industry standards.