LOCAL BUSINESS
ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD is situated on the South Lancashire coalfield and coal-mining has been carried on actively since the beginning of the 19th century. Unfortunately the seams are now becoming worked out and some collieries in the area have already been closed.
In 1825, Ashton was, in the words of a contemporary historian, 'A large and populous village, the centre of a brisk manufacturing district where the poor are industrious and their employers prosperous.' It had in 1840, cotton spinning establishments and fustian manufacturers and was noted for the manufacture of hinges and locks.
The manufacture of hinges and locks is still being carried on by Thomas Crompton and Sons Limited, at their Gerard Street Works. The company claim to be the largest manufacturers of these commodities in the Commonwealth and their products are sent to all corners of the British Isles and abroad. Cotton spinning is no longer carried on in the Urban District but cotton weaving is undertaken by the Makerfield Mill Limited. The firm manufactures furnishing, casement and upholstery fabrics for the home and export markets and employs some 500 men and women.
In addition, the engineering industry is also well represented by the light engineering firms of Millingford Engineering Company and Air Units Company.
Owing to the uncertain future of the local collieries, the Council are actively pursuing a policy designed to attract suitable industries into the area to provide an alternative source of employment. With this object in mind several sites in various parts of the Urban District have been earmarked as industrial sites. The selected sites have been chosen with particular regard to accessibility, availability of services and ease of development. Intending developers requiring further information regarding industrial sites within the Urban District should contact the Clerk of the Council at the Town Hall, Ashton-in-Makerfield.
LOCAL BUSINESS
