'South Shropshire' is a
local government district in south west
Shropshire,
England.
South Shropshire is the most rural district of one of the
UK's most rural counties, the
population of the district is 40,000 spread out over 1,027 km² of forest, mountains, moors, hills and poor quality farmland. It borders
Powys in Mid
Wales, which it closely resembles, economically, socially, culturally and historically. 65% of the district is part of the
Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Only the towns of
Ludlow and
Church Stretton have populations in excess of 3000. Other towns in the district are
Clun,
Bishop's Castle,
Cleobury Mortimer and
Craven Arms.
The district was formed by the merger of the
rural districts of
Clun and Bishop's Castle and
Ludlow in 1974, under the
Local Government Act 1972.
[1]
Economics and Demographics
Economically the district is largely dependent on tourism, partly due to the decline in the economic significance of farming and also the decline and subsequent end of local lead and coal mining industry. In addition to tourism, some light insustry does exist in the borough, in the
Church Stretton area.
Some statistics for the local area suggest that wages are "low", but also that the rate of unemployment is below average.
Addionally, the local demographics show a large gap, speaking economically, between affluent residents and poorer communities, many of the affluent residents being people who have moved into the area from other places. This continues an older trend whose root was initially in the imbalance of wealth associated with the farming economy previously prevalent in the area.
Geography
The
AONB is highlighted in Green.
The District of South Shropshire covers an area of 1,028 square kilometres, or 397 square miles, which is roughly one third of the administrative county of Shropshire.
South Shropshire is a land of mountains, valleys, hills, moors, forests and low grade farmland. The landscape is often rugged, with crags and rock outcrops very common, especially in the west and around the
Clee Hills, and was for the most part gouged by glaciers during the
ice age. It contains a myriad of rock types, and is widely regarded as the geological capital of the UK, with
Wenlock Edge being especially highly regarded by geologists.
See the
Shropshire Hills AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) for more about the natural geography of the area.
History
South Shropshire is littered with ancient monuments, with
Mitchells Fold on the Welsh border being the most notable, and there is evidence of Neolithic quarrying in the Apedale.
The area seems to have been settled by the
Ordovicii people in the last millennium BC, and was a stronghold of the Celtic chieftain
Caractacus (Caer Caradoc is named after him).
The area was probably part of the "Military" division of the Roman occupation and locals claim that the Romans mined lead in the North West of the district.
In the
Early Middle Ages, the area was a battleground between the Welsh and the Saxon Kingdom of
Mercia and
Offa's Dyke, which is partially in the district, is a permanent reminder of the areas border status.
In the
Middle Ages, Southern Shropshire was part of the
Welsh Marches, a lawless area ruled by tyrannical feudal lords, who had de facto independence from the King.
It has been remarked that the attitude of the time lives on in the areas mistrust of outside control.
During the
English Civil War the area was generally spared from fighting, although there was a small massacre at
Hopton Castle.
During the
Industrial Revolution, coal was mined around Clee Hill and lead was mined near the border with Wales, eg at
Snailbeach. Church Stretton was a centre of textile manufacture and Ludlow thrived on the malting trade, while the rest of the area was populated by smallholders.
The economy of the area was fragile, and most industry in the area had collapsed by 1900.
Politics
At present in South Shropshire, the local council is controlled by the
Conservative Party, with the second largest party being the
Liberal Democrats. A number of independent politicians also hold seats in the council. The
Labour Party no longer run candidates in elections within the district.
Results of the elections to South Shropshire District Council, 1 May 2003
| Party | Seats
|
|---|
| Liberal Democrat and Progressive | 11
|
| Conservative | 18
|
| Independent | 4
|
| Green | 1
|
| Total | 34
|
|---|
★ Senior Councillors
★
★ Council leader: Helen Kidd, LD, Chirbury
★
★ Deputy leader: ?
Energy policy
In May
2006, a report commissioned by
British Gas [1] showed that housing in South Shropshire produced the 13th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,156 kg of
carbon dioxide per dwelling.
:''See also:
Energy efficiency in British housing''.
Various Statistics
| Population structure | % |
|---|
| 0-4 | 5.2 |
| 5-15 | 11.8 |
| 16-19 | 5.1 |
| 20-29 | 7.7 |
| 30-44 | 19.5 |
| 45-retirement age | 25.3 |
| retirement age+ | 25.2 |
| Level of Employment 2001: | % |
|---|
| Managers etc. | 14.7 |
| Professionals | 10.1 |
| Assoc. professional/technical | 10.2 |
| Admin and secretarial | 9.5 |
| Skilled manual | 20.3 |
| Personal service | 8.1 |
| Sales and customer service | 5.7 |
| Plant and machinery operatives | 8.4 |
| Elementary occupations | 13.1 |
| unemployed males | 2.5 |
| unemployed females | 1.1 |
| Employment by industry 2001: | % |
|---|
| agriculture and forestry | 10.2 |
| energy and water | 0.9 |
| manufacturing | 14.1 |
| construction | 8.2 |
| services | 22.4 |
| transport and communications | 4.5 |
| finance | 11.8 |
| public sector | 22.7 |
| others | 5.1 |
| Sundry statistics 2001: | % |
|---|
| In-migrants 1991-2001 | 10.2 |
| Visible minorities | 0.7 |
References
1. HMSO. S.I. 1972/2039
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