Durham E-Theses The development of industrial employment in the Northern division of the Wakeeld Metropolitan district since 1961 Tobin, Doreen Teresa How to cite: Tobin, Doreen Teresa (1979) The development of industrial employment in the Northern division of the Wakeeld Metropolitan district since 1961, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10408/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ABSTRACT This thesis presents a detailed study of the development of manufacturing, warehousing and coalmining in the Northern Division, In order to fit this study into its proper perspective the national and regional trends in employment and in the location of industry are analysed. The coalmining industry is dealt with independently. The limited material available was obtained through informal interviews and correspondence with the N,C,B, After a preliminary survey of the area it was decided to carry out a thorou^ investigation by means of a questionnaire utilized during personal interviewing. Aggregate statistics from various sources are combined with the questionnaire survey of firms to study the changes in manufacturing and warehouse units. The method by which information was gathered from firms is discussed. The findings of this work suggest that Regional policy had little or no impact on the location of manufacturing industry in this area. The area has attracted warehouse units, due in no small meeisure to the road networks. The feasibility of the engineering industry receiving new impetus from the demands of the coal industry for ever more modem technological developments and the possibility of an increase in population emplojnuent in the services are also considered. The current picture of manufacturing industry and warehouse units and projections for the future are discussed in this work. THE DETELOPMMT OF INDOSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE NORTHERH DIVISION OF THE WAKEFIELD METROPOLITM DISTRICT SINCE 1961 BY DOREEN TERESA TOBIN A THESIS PRESENTED FOR THE M.A. DEGREE The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived DNIVEESITY OF DURHAM, —• from it should be acknowledged. NOVEJIBEE 1979. This research is original and no part of it has ever been submitted for a degree at any University. CONTENTS Page List of Tables (i) List of Maps (v) List of Photographs (vi) Acknowledgements (vii) Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Employment Change in the National, Regional and Local Economy. Chapter 3 Coalmining 55 Chapter 4 Changes in Manufacturing and Warehouse 68 Units in the Northern Division Chapter 5 Prospects for the future 107 Chapter 6 Conclusion 120 Appendix 126 Bibliography 131 LIST OF TABLES Number Title Table 1 Total Working Population, United Kingdom I965, 1970, 6 1974, 1975, 1977. Table 2 Total Employment by Major Industrial Category, IMited 8 Kingdom 1960-1974. Table 3 Regional Economic Indicators in Great Britain 12 1965-1975. Table 4 Record of openings of Manufacturing Establishments I4 1966 to 1971 and 1972 to 1975. Table 5 The Changing Regional Distribution of Manufacturing 20 Employment« Table 6 Birth and Death Rates per 1,000 Population in the 22 United Kingdom and Yorkshire and Humberside 1961-1977 Table 7 Percentage Employed in Manufacturing and Services 23 United Kingdom and Yorkshire and Humberside Table 8 Percentage Employed in Engineering and Textiles 25 Table 9 Average Weekly Earnings in the United Kingdom and 28 Yorkshire and Humberside April 1977. Table 10 Percentage Employed in Warehousing 1973-1976 31 Table 11 Monitoring of Manufacturing and Warehouse Ploorspace 33 1971-1979. Table 12 Completions by Industrial Order/Land Use Group in 34 Metropolitan Districts in West Yorkshire and Manufacturing Floorspace Completions by Industrial Order in Wakefield M.D. Table 13 Population and Age Structure of the Population of the 37 Five Towns I96I, 1971. Table I4 Migrants within the Five Towns within Five Years 38 preceding the Census. Table 15 Total Population of the United Kingdom and Yorkshire 39 and Humberside. (i) Number Title Page Table 16 Birth and Death Rates of the Five Towns, I96I, 1971, 40 Table 1? I'lain Industries in the Division, 4I Table 18 Percentage Rates - Employees in Hnployment in 44 Castleford T,T,W,A, 1971, 1972, I973, 1975, I976, Table I9 Activity Rates: Castleford T,T,W,A, , 45 Table 20 Average Earnings in Mining, I<Ianufacturing and 46 Warehousing, Table 21 Housing Tenure, Tenure/Souseholds present in permanent 48 dwellings. Table 22 Fit and Unfit Dwellings 49 Table 23 Housing - Basic Amenities 50 Table 24 Shared Dwellings 51 Table 25 Car Ownership 1975 54 Table 26 Regions Making Net Losses I97O-.I97I 56 Table 27 NCB Results for 1972-1973 and 1978-1979, 57 Table 28 Output - North Yorkshire Area 62 Table 29 North Yorkshire Area Coalfields, Colliery Closures since 63 1965. Table 30 Number of Enployees in the Five Towns Collieries, I96I, 65 1971 and 1977. Table 31 Percentage Employed in Manufacturing and Warehousing 80 I96I, 1971, 197-6. Table 32 Number and Percentage of Firms interviewed in each Town. 87 Table 33 Age of Establishments 90 Table 34 Percentage of Employees in each size of Firm 9I Table 35 Percentage Employed in Castleford T.T.W.A. I96I, I965, 93 1971, 1976. (ii) Number Title Table 36 Number and Percentage of Firms, Increasing Employment 94 between I96O-I978 and between 1973-1978. Table 37 Employment Increase between I96O-I978 95 Table 38a Raw Material Source {%) Market Location - Manufacturing 98 Units. Table 38b Raw Material Source (^) Market Location - Warehousing 99 Units. Table 39 The Number of Manufacturing Units and Warehouses that 100 were attracted by the following factors Table 40 Size of Warehouse Units 101 Table 4I Plants with a high percentage of employees between 102 1^30 years Table 42 Plants with a hi^ percentage of employees between 102 31-45 years Table 43 Plants with a hi^ percentage of skilled employees 103 Table 44 Duration of Employment {fo) 103 Table 45 Average Age, Avereige Service and Percentage Stability 103 Rate of Employees at the International Sports Company Table 46 Plants Miho offered a Retraining Programme (^S) 104 Table 47 Plants \Ao received Grant Aid for Retraining Programme m 104 Table 48 Plants who offered Incentives, Hi^er Wages and Bonus 105 Schemes (S) Table 49 Plants with Employees travelling daily between 1-5 miles 105 and 6-10 miles (^) Table 50 Journey to Wo3± (^) 106 Table 5I Male, Female and Total Employment, Estimated Employment 109 Levels and Estimated Growth Rates for Great Britain, Wakefield Metropolitan District and Northern Division. (iii) Number Title Page Table 52 Activity Rates for Castleford T.T,W,A, 110 Table 53 Serviced and Non-Serviced Land in the Northern 113 Division and Wakefield Metropolitan District Table 54 Land Allocation in the Northern Division 115 (iv) LIST OP MAPS No 1 Regional Setting of the Northern Division 2 2 The Northern Division of Wakefield Metropolitan Inside back District cover 3 North Yorkshire Area Coalfields 61 4 Whitwood and Normanton Industrial Estate 74 5 Carrwood Industrial Estate, Castleford, 69 6 Bondgate Industrial Estate, Pontefract, 81 7, Tanshelf Industrial Estate, Pontefract, 70 8, Weeland Road and Common Lane Industrial Site, 71 Knottingley, 9, Location of Establishments Interviewed in the 88 Survey (v) LIST OP PHOTOGRAPHS Number Title Pag 1 Elida Gibbs Distribution 73 2 Whitwood Distribution Centre 73 3-11 Establishments on Normanton Industrial Estate 75 3 Koyo Bearings - Warehouse 75 4 Schauman Wood Services 75 5 Burtons, Twining and Plastiflex Depots 76 6 Associated Dairies 76 7 Asda Supermarket Depot 77 8 Bell-Fruit and Cape Insulation Depot 77 9-11 New Developments on Normanton Industrial Estate 78 9 Sleepeezee 78 10 Canvermoor 78 11 Cape Scaffolding 79 12-13 Carrwood Industrial Estate 79 12 Sykes Pumps 79 13 Southern Evans 82 14 Bondgate 82 15 Tanshelf Industrial Estate (Mainly Service Industry) 83 16-19 Industrial Development on Weeland Road and Common Lane 83 16 Croyda Sj^ithetic Chemicals 83 17 Croyda Synthetic Chemicals 84 18 Croyda Synthetic Chemicals 84 19 Croyda Synthetic Chemicals 85 20 International Spprts Company 85 (vi) ACKNOWLEDGEMEaJTS I wish to acknowledge my sincere appreciation to Mr, J. Lewis, who, as Tutor, provided overall guidance, detailed advice, constructive comments, criticisms and suggestions and vdiose support, understanding and encouragement was invaluable. Acknowledgement is also given to Jeff Ellis who advised in the preparation of maps and the layout of photographs. Deep appreciation is due to Miss Jan Mohammed from the Manpower Service Commission who extracted from various sources statistics vital to this work: to the Callan family who made it possible for me to gain access to library facilities: to Wakefield Metropolitan Planning Depeirtment who supplied information and readily discussed matters of importance to this study: and to Wakefield Library who provided resource material. Grateful thanks are due to the many unnamed persons and firms who through informal interviews and literature made it possible for me to complete this work.