 In 1935 the Borough of Penzance, which had the parish of Newlyn under its jurisdiction, sent the Officer of Health into the Newlyn to assess the state of housing there.This followed the policy of the Government that slums unfit for human habitation should be cleared and the residents moved to new purpose built council estates.It was decided that a list should be drawn up of properties to be demolished and a new estate to be called Gwavas was to be built at the top of the very steep hill above Newlyn.