I came across reference to Midland Building Developments Limited owning land near Green Street Brockworth in the Gloucester Rural District Council minute book for the Civic Year 1955-56 in relation to negotiations to felling trees on land they owned adjacent to Gloucester RDC Pound Farm Hawksley SGS housing development, in Green Acre, Green Bank and Green Close.
It is apparent that they were a building company operating during the 1930’s, based in South Yardley Birmingham. In October 1939, just after the start of the Second World War, they advertised a 16 house scheme “nearing completion” at Bredon Road Tewkesbury on the site of North House. This can be identified as 2-24 (evens) Bredon Road (GL20 5BZ) and the four properties at the rear 27a,27b,28a and 28b Oldbury Road(GL20 5LS). They were offered for sale at £650 and marketed as being in the “Safety Zone” – presumably on the basis that Tewksbury was less likely to be aerial bombed than Birmingham, where the advert appeared.
The 1939 advert refers to the Grange Park Estate in South Yardley, located at Gilbertstone Avenue and it apparent that some of the houses in this road have striking similarities with the properties at Bredon Road (altough they have hipped rooves). A likely location for their land ownership would be the eastern side of Green Street, where there is a group of 1930’s houses, however, these are grander than the ones built at Tewkesbury and Gilbertstone Avenue and might be by another developer altogether.
After the war building was strictly controlled by the need to obtain building licences and it is apparent that the company had laid foundations for 21 houses at Gilbertstone Avenue before the war but in 1951 was unable, at that time to obtain licences for them.
References: Gloucester RDC Minute 27 1955-56 page 23 Gloucestershire Archives DA27/100/28; Advert Page 1 Birmingham Mail – Friday 20 October 1939; “Housing Licences Refused” Birmingham Mail – Thursday 19 April 1951 page 3,