Redditch New Town Archives: Industry and Employment
- 27th February 2024
Attracting Industry
Part of the Master Plan was to attract a variety of industry to the town. The set-up of large factories were negotiated together with land, and allocation of new houses to key workers. BKL Alloys is an example of this, a firm that moved one of it’s divisions from Birmingham. As a result, it became necessary to carry out borehole surveys to determine the load bearing capacity of land for such very heavy industries. These surveys and reports have been catalogued as part of our New Jerusalems project, and are available at finding no. 009:12 BA13606.
CNT Redditch Means Business Brochure. Select pages. c.1970. 009:12 BA14226/27(3)
Some firms preferred to obtain freehold land and carry out their own works as opposed to renting. Unit factories were also provided for smaller companies, for instance at Park Farm Industrial Estate.
Promotion was a major focus for the Development Corporation Board. In this brochure, Redditch was marketed as an industrial and commercial centre, attracting companies from Europe, North America, and Japan, aside from Britain. Manufacture of Aerospace instrumentation, medical equipment, electronic control panels and precision engineering are featured. Three of Britain’s major universities are noted as being in proximity.
CNT Redditch Means Business Brochure. Select pages. c.1970. 009:12 BA14226/27(3)
Companies named in the brochure include: Halfords, Hydrovane, Avon Medicals, Istel, Hymatic, Marubeni-Komatsu and International Radiator Services (UK), BKL Alloys, Heller Machine Tools, Aero Needles, Klamix. All having moved to Redditch industrial estates that ranged in size from less than 600 sq ft to almost 50,000 sq ft. All the sites had first-class road and footpath systems. Specific sites mentioned are:
- Washford Industrial Estate, hosting more than 100 factories.
- Moons Moat Industrial Estates, hosting more than 160 factories, being the largest employment area in Redditch.
- Hunt End Estate, hosting 26 units in seven different sizes.
- Enfield Estate being the most well-established close to the Town Centre, totaling almost 22 acres.
- Lakeside, totaling 33 acres.
- Park Farm Industrial areas (North and South), consisting of 100 acres with 42 units and 40 sites independently built.
CNT Redditch Means Business Brochure. Select pages. c.1970. 009:12 BA14226/27(3)
Promotion of Industry
There is a large quantity of promotional and other material deposited in the Redditch New Town collections. Some of it was once a part of the Redditch Development Corporation Technical Library which, we are told filled a large room and had several dedicated librarians! Even before the Commission for the New Towns took over, Redditch Development Corporation had a clear emphasis on promoting industry through TV, radio, and press. It spent around £600,000 as part of a strategy to attract High Technology and Service Industries, to help Redditch make up for the loss of Metal-based Industries which were in decline.
This poster summarises the aims of the Development Corporation, by providing jobs for residents in a range of industries and ancillary services across several industrial sites. A variety of housing was available alongside this, to purchase and rent, with the potential to buy later.
RDC Spotlight on Redditch New Town c.1980 009.12 BA14226/35(8)
Objectives to develop markets in Europe meant trips abroad for Board Members, and promotional material being specially created.
Success. International Publicity Brochure. Multilingual. p.4-5. 1970s-1980s. 499:4 BA10910/123(3)
On Thursday 16th September 1976, Redditch Development Corporation held an open day for members of the Japan External Trade Organisation, made up of several Japanese industry leaders. The collection includes photos of this visit.
Promotional Literature for Japanese Visits to Redditch. 1976. 499:4 BA10910/422(6)
This study of firms and employment in Redditch Designated Area and Redditch Borough indicates RDC’s commitment to employment and industry. It was made after a period of high inflation and at that time, increasing levels of national unemployment, particularly in the manufacturing sector. The collections contain numerous themed studies and surveys carried out by the Corporation, which informed their planning.
RDC Employment Survey 1982. Select pages. Issued March 1983. 009:12 BA14226/35(1)
The functions of the Commission for the New Towns were to take over from the Development Corporations after completion of initial stages and to manage commercial and industrial assets of the new towns. The Commission acted as landowner on behalf of the nation and took on a promotional role for Redditch, as shown in this leaflet.
The Commission for the New Towns. Some Facts and Figures Leaflet. Post 1985. 009:12 BA14226/27(4)
Some information used in this blog is from The History of Redditch New Town 1964-85, by Gordon Anstis.
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The next blog of the series will feature publicity, sports and leisure in the New Town.
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