Growth and decline of industrial areas

Industrial concentration in North East England

The map above shows the main industries of the area around 1980. The industry grew, based on local raw materials and other natural advantages:

• There were abundant supplies of coal, mined initially to the west of the coalfield where the deposits were close to the surface, and later in deeper mines further east.
• Iron ore was available in the Cleveland Hills, just south of the River Tees.
• Limestone could be obtained from the Pennines.
• Supplies of salt found at Teesside were the basis of the chemical industry.
• The estuaries of the Tyne, Wear and Tees allowed ships to be launched.

The coal, iron ore and limestone were the essential raw materials for the steel industry, which grew at Consett and at Teeside. This steel, in turn, became the raw material for further industries:

• Shipbuilding yards were established on the three estuaries. The North East rivalled the Clyde for a time as the leading shipbuilding area of the world.
• Railway engineering developed at Darlington, which had been a terminus of the first railway, from Stockton, in 1825.
• Bridge building was established. The most famous North East product was the Sydney Harbour Bridge, built by Dorman-Long of Middlesbrough.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the area experienced industrial decline. There were several reasons for this:

• Coal supplies declined and mines were closed, leaving only one deep coal mine today.
• The iron ore mines were closed, and ore is now imported to Teesside.
• The shipbuilding industry suffered from foreign competition, mainly from Japan and Korea.

Various attempts have been made to attract industries and services to provide new employment. Early examples included:

• the Team Valley industrial estate, west of Gateshead
• New Towns at Peterlee, Newton Aycliffe and Washington
• the transfer of the Ministry of National Insurance from London

These developments were intended to:

• reduce unemployment, which had exceeded 30% at times in the 1930s
• diversify the employment structure, which had been over-concentrated on the basic industries
• provide employment for women, who made up only 18% of the labour force in 1939, compared to a national average of 28%