Ivybridge

• Ivybridge, Devon PL21:

  • Transport links - next to a train line and an A road (A38)
  • Middle class - tennis and golf clubs
  • Education - 4 schools, 1 college
  • Scenery - next to a national park (Plymouth - south of Dartmoor - SE UK - Cornwall)
  • Jobs - paper mill
• Population:

  • 11851 (2011) / 12484 (2021)
  • Median age of 42 (2011)
  • 98.7% of population are white
  • 52.2% female, 47.8% male
  • 21% 0-17, 58% 18-64, 21% 65+
  • Smallest group - 10-19 - university/work
  • 11914 UK born citizens
• Stowford paper mill:

  • Feb 2009 - closed in Nov 2013 by Arjowiggins paper company in Scotland - paper mills in UK, Spain, China (closed Devon but kept Spain open - less tax, cheaper labour)
  • Manufacturing to service economy (housing estate)
  • Less paper used - emails increased, people bought local paper abroad
  • Brexit - leave 18937, stay 16658 - 81.3% turnout
  • 1 in 11 homes were second homes - less available housing, higher prices - second homes increased 11% since 2011
  • Airbnbs and holiday lets - difficult to buy or rent
• Education:

  • Ivybridge community college - 2438 pupils - B average, outstanding
  • 96% stay in education, 67% sixth form, 94% higher education
  • Teachers paid less - only college in the area (£38262)
  • 98.7% English first language, 7.4% free school meals
• Industry:

  • Agriculture - 0.2%
  • Mining - 1.2%
  • Manufacturing - 17.9%
  • Construction - 4.9%
  • Retail - 18.1%
  • Health and social work - 9.8%
  • IT - 8.5%
  • Education - 6%
  • Unemployed and claiming benefits - 3.8%
• Households:

  • Isolated rural communities - 20.3%-19.6%
  • Lower income workers - 0.6%-2.6%
• Paper mill:

  • Made birth certificate paper out of fabric
  • Dangerous machinery
  • People would work there for the rest of their working lives
• Primrose festival:

  • Sense of place, culture, community
  • Children would collect primroses, which were gifted to paper mill customers
  • Happens every year on Mother's Day weekend
• Summary:

  Ivybridge is located in Devon. It has an aging and not very diverse population as people retire there and young people move away. It was affected by globalisation as the paper mill closed down, resulting in 100 job losses.