Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The main aims and objectives of the research project from which this dataset arose were: (1) To examine patterns of plant location throughout Britain over the period 1932-38; (2) To examine patterns of plant location in the Greater London region over the interwar period; (3) To explore the extent and nature of local clustering of new manufacturing plants in interwar Britain; (4) To explore the nature of locational externalities in major clusters of new manufacturing plants in interwar Britain; (5) To assess the contribution of new manufacturing plant location to regional change in Britain over the interwar period.

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This project examined patterns of industrial location and clustering for new manufacturing plants in interwar Britain. The dataset provides plant-level data on new manufacturing plants (together with some non-manufacturing plants, such as repair and servicing facilities) established throughout Britain from 1932-38, and in the London region (together with some adjacent localities) for the whole of the interwar period. These were assembled from two contemporary sources: the Board of Trade’s annual 1932-38 Surveys of Industrial Development, and a register compiled by the Greater London Regional Development Committee. The data are limited to plants with an initial employment of at least 25 people. They include each plant’s location, a description of its output, its sector (coded by three digit 1980 Standard Industrial Classification), and its initial employment (mainly within bands of 100). For plants established between 1932 and 1938, information is also available regarding whether the plant was a branch plant of the firm in question, or was opened as a result of a transfer of production from another locality. The national 1932-38 data also include information on extensions of production for existing plants (where these involve the employment of at least 25 people). The data are entered into two Excel files, one covering the national 1932-38 data and the other providing 1919-38 data for the London region and some adjacent areas. Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.

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