Cumbria Local Economic Assessment
November 2010
2. Economy of Cumbria: Geographical Context
A key factor in understanding the economy of Cumbria concerns the unique characteristics of the
geography of the County and the historical legacy inherited from past phases of development. The
physical size of the County, the dispersed distribution of its population and the relative remoteness
of the west coast have combined over time to create both economic advantages and disadvantages
for communities. In terms of its physical location, Cumbria is the most north-westerly county of
England which is bounded to the north by the Scottish council area of Dumfries and Galloway. To
the east, Cumbria borders on the counties of Durham and Northumberland within the North-East
Region of England, while to the south, the county’s neighbours include parts of North Yorkshire and
Lancashire.
2.1 Location and Administrative Areas
The county consists of six local authority districts: Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, Copeland,
Eden and South Lakeland. In addition to the County Council and Six District Councils, Cumbria also
includes the Lake District National Park (LDNP) and part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park
(YDNP). These scenic landscapes are designated under the National Parks and Access to the
Countryside Act 1949 and are governed for the purposes of strategic and local planning by separate
National Park Authorities which operate across district administrative boundaries.
Figure 2.1: Map of Cumbria showing District Boundaries
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Cumbria Local Economic Assessment
November 2010
2.2 Size and Population Density
With an area of 676,724 hectares (2,613 square miles, Cumbria is the second largest County
Council area in England (after North Yorkshire). However Cumbria also has the second lowest
population density (0.73 persons/ha) among English counties, and there are only five urban areas
with a population of over 20,000. Eden District in particular is very sparsely populated (0.24
persons/ha). In contrast, the borough of Barrow has the highest population density of all the
districts at 9.09 persons per hectare. Cumbria's largest settlement, the city of Carlisle is located in
the north of the county.
Figure 2.2: Area, Population and Population Density
Area
(hectares)
Allerdale
Barrow
Carlisle
Copeland
Eden
S Lakeland
Cumbria
Population
(MYE 2009)
124,158
7,796
103,998
73,174
214,236
153,362
676,724
94,300
70,900
104,700
69,700
51,800
103,800
495,200
Population
Density
(persons/ha)
0.76
9.09
1.01
0.95
0.24
0.68
0.73
Source: ONS
Figure 2.3: Area and Population by District as a Proportion of Cumbria Total
23%
18%
21%
19%
Allerdale
1%
Barrow
Carlisle
11%
14%
15%
Copeland
Eden
S Lakeland
32%
11%
14%
21%
Source: ONS
It is not uncommon for Cumbria to be regarded as one of England’s most picturesque rural counties.
It is certainly true that tourist visitors continue to be attracted to the County for this reason. It is
nonetheless also the case that most of the centres of population in Cumbria are the product of a
process of industrialisation that has its roots in the 19th century and continuing through to the
present.
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Cumbria Local Economic Assessment
November 2010
Census records show that the population of Cumbria grew very rapidly in the 19th century following
the discovery of iron ore and coal in the west of the County. So too, the construction of the
Furness Peninsula railway in 1843-46 prompted the largest period of expansion from the 1840s1890s. During this time the population almost doubled from around 250,000 to 435,000, with about
a third of this population increase (60,000) occuring in Barrow alone. Elsewhere in the county,
Carlisle enjoyed its most rapid period of growth during the 1820s and 30s when scottish and irish
immigrants migrated to the city to gain employment in the booming textiles industry. In South
Lakeland, Kendal was an important centre for shoe and snuff making in the early 19th century and the
construction of the windermere railway in 1847 spurred the development of the area as a tourist
destination. Penrith on the other hand was an important commercial centre for agricultural
products.
The dominant pattern of change through the 20th century has involved gradual decline of the
traditional industrial base and successive attempts to attract new investment. With the exception
of the major expansion of the nuclear industry in West Cumbria since the 1940s, attempts to
diversify the economy through inward investment have not been able to compensate for the loss of
jobs in traditional industries As a consequence, the county has experienced extended periods of
selective out-migration of younger people which has been particularly severe in West Cumbria and
Furness. Yet areas of Cumbria have continued to attract in-migrants who are drawn to the area
partly by its outstanding natural environment . This trend has continued In recent years and has
contributed to economic growth but also created its own set of problems in driving up property
prices, particularly in rural areas. This issue will be looked at more closely in chapter 5.
Figure 2.4: Historic Population Growth in Cumbria, 1801-2001
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
1801
1841
1881
1921
1961
2001
Source: ONS/Vision of Britain 2008, Census records
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Cumbria Local Economic Assessment
November 2010
2.3 Key Service Centres
Cumbria has 24 designated Key Service Centres outside the National Park and a further 4 within the
NP which are used by the County Council for delivery purposes (see Figure 2.5). Four of the
designated KSCs are locations identified in the Cumbria Sub Regional Spatial Strategy 2008-2028 for
major development (Carlisle, Barrow, Workington and Whitehaven), a further 4 (Maryport,
Ulverston, Kendal and Penrith) are identified for sustained development of large towns, while the
remainder are identified for moderate development appropriate to the scale of the town. The Lake
District National Park has adopted a core strategy which identifies 13 Rural Service Centres and
other authorities are also defining Local Service Centres in their Local Development Frameworks
which will be identified for small scale development.
Figure 2.5: Key Service Centres in Cumbria
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Cumbria Local Economic Assessment
November 2010
2.4 Labour Market Self-Containment
Economic flows often cut across local authority boundaries. This means that the functional area
over which the local economy and its key markets operate will not necessarily adhere to
administrative boundaries. The proportion of residents who live and work in the same area is
described as self-containment. Territories defined by this principle have a number of advantages not
least in terms of income retention in local areas but also in that it facilitates effective planning of
infrastructure and housing to satisfy the demands of businesses and employers located in the area.
There is no doubt that levels of commuting between local areas has increased considerably in recent
decades as car ownership has risen and transport infrastructure has improved. Despite this
generalisation, levels of self-containment have remained fairly high in Cumbria
Figure 2.6: Change in Self-Containment, 2001-08
Cumbria
Allerdale
Barrow
Carlisle
Copeland
Eden
S Lakeland
Where do residents work?
2001
2008
Change
90.2
89.6
-0.6
77.1
73.7
-3.4
86.4
87.2
0.8
83.1
75.9
-7.2
73.1
82.1
9
70.7
75.9
5.2
82.3
83.7
1.4
Where do workers live?
2001
2008
Change
94.3
96.3
2
78.6
84.5
5.9
78.9
82.2
3.3
87.1
93.0
5.9
88.2
77.9
-10.3
84.1
82.7
-1.4
80.5
86.7
6.2
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 2.6 shows that in 2008, 89.6% of Cumbria’s residents also work in the county. Looking at the
county’s total workforce we can see that 96.3% of the individuals are also resident in the county.
Both of these figures are exceptionally high in comparison to other parts of Great Britain. We can
also say that 10.4% of Cumbria’s residents work outside the county. This is the 4th lowest figure for
any county in England (after Norfolk, East Sussex and Lincolnshire). In addition only 3.7% of workers
in Cumbria live outside the county. This is the lowest figure for any English county.
Even at District level, labour market self-containment is fairly high. Self-containment measured by
resident’s workplace, for instance, ranges from 73.4 in Allerdale to 87.2 in Barrow. However it is
wise to exercise an element of caution when interpreting the measures of self-containment at a
district level. Taking Copeland as an example, we see that it is highly self contained, with residence
self-containment of 78% and workplace self containment of 82%. Of working residents of Copeland
14% (+/-7) work in Allerdale but estimates for other places of work have confidence intervals which
encompass zero. Of people that work in Copeland, 9% (+/-6) come from Allerdale. Clearly the
confidence levels involved in this analysis make drawing any solid inferences from this data unwise –
and these are the two districts with the highest levels of inter-commuting. As such, drawing any
conclusions relating to commuting flows at a district level in Cumbria is not advisable.
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Cumbria Local Economic Assessment
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2.5 Housing market areas
Housing Market Areas (HMAs) are an alternative geographical area which can be used to define a
functional region. Cumbria has 20 housing market areas which in some cases cut across LA
boundaries. However the boundary of the 20 areas (see map below), when taken collectively, are
co-terminus with the County Council boundary. HMAs were also agreed at a regional level and
again, as the map below shows, the 10 HMA boundaries for the housing areas in Cumbria
(amalgamations of the 20 local HMAs) were co-terminus with the county boundary. Only the
HMA’s for Greater Manchester exhibit the same adherence.
Figure 2.7 / 2.8: Housing Market Areas in Cumbria and the North West.
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