ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the personal reflections of the renowned community architect Rod Hackney. Macclesfield Council was busy with a project to knock down 800 houses as part of a slum clearance programme, and that included the Black Road area. Local residents had had enough, and decided to join forces to fight back: prople formed the Black Road Area Residents' Association, and the Rod Hackey was appointed as a chairman. Black Road became 'red-lined', which meant that residents were classified a financial risk: it was impossible to get any sort of bank loan or even to hire a television set. Black Road was described as a 'spanner in the works of Manchester's magnificent flying slum clearance machine'. It was couched in the usual formal council jargon, but declared that Black Road was officially being considered as a 'potential' General Improvement Area declaration (GIA). Politically, Black Road was a great success. The residents were praised by politicians of all complexions.
