This week saw the the launch of Lydia Court – a brand new block of council-owned apartments named after the country’s first black lady Mayor, Lydia Simmons.
Lydia was guest of honour at the opening of the block of 11 flats on 18th October, which have her name.
Lydia Court is a development of 11 new council homes, built on the site of the old Eschle Court, Elliman Avenue.
The one, two and three bedroom apartments have been built for the council by Slough Urban Renewal (SUR) - a partnership between Slough Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments Ltd, which is driving regeneration across the town including leisure, housing, community and school buildings.
Lydia Court also includes a ground floor three bedroom apartment built to wheelchair standards, with its own front door access, dedicated parking and garden area.
This specially designed property has been allocated to a family currently on the housing waiting list and housing officers worked with occupational therapists to ensure the needs of the family were met.
Lydia was the Mayor of Slough in the municipal year 1984/85 becoming the first ever black lady Mayor in the whole of the UK.
She was born in Montserrat in the Caribbean in 1938 and came to Slough in 1960, serving as a councillor from 1979 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2007. She was chair of the committee responsible for housing from 1985 to 1994, shadow commissioner for housing and commissioner for social exclusion and neighbourhood services.
She was also given an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list in 2011.
