Which resulted in a hostile takeover bid in the late 1950s and early 1960s led by Amy Rose and Hotel York Ltd. To protect the town a private members bill, the result of a massive public outcry by local residents, was promoted in parliament. The bill was passed and Letchworth Garden City Corporation, a public sector organisation was given the responsibility of safeguarding, managing and developing the Garden City estate. .
The garden city had intended to cure rural and social ills indulging in the romantic idea that nature would act as a positive influence on man. The garden city aimed to bring together different members of society, the system was about overcoming social barriers with a view to raise lower orders by giving them models to emulate and aspire to. Also important is that these planned cities were walkable cities and there was no need for transport, they were self sustaining and sufficient as well as promoting fairness. Fair wages, support for the ill and social fairness were just some of the ambitious ideas on the agenda which when it came to practice had to be dropped. .
Letchworth was only part of a much larger development which proposed a cluster if Garden cities around a central city all interconnected and sharing leisure facilities and services. To this end 15 years after starting Letchworth Howard acquired the land for Welwyn which was to be the second Garden City. This illustrated his own confidence in his master plan. .
Inspired by Letchworth many towns followed throughout the world. Although the majority of the garden cities grew into viable units, they remained isolated and ineffective to alleviate the results of population explosion. Letchworth for one had tried over the years to remain true to Howard's concepts and principles with varying levels of success. The idea of the garden city was for quite some time regarded as a cornerstone of modern urban planning.