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The Babergh district was created from five former local authorities in south Suffolk. The district is wedge shaped with its point being the Shotley peninsula, which has the river Orwell on its northern flank and the river Stour (which forms the county boundary with Essex) on its southern side. There are modern industrial estates at Hadleigh and at Chilton, just outside Sudbury. Firms produce everything from boiler tubes for nuclear-powered ships to antique picture frames. Silk is still woven in Sudbury as it was hundreds of years ago.
The District has a population of approximately 84,000. It covers an area of 230 square miles and contains several small towns and villages which still retain much of their original outstanding character and appearance including the nationally known towns of Lavenham and Long Melford. For instance, there are 29 conservation areas and approximately 4,000 listed buildings within the District. The largest town in Babergh is Sudbury which, along with its neighbouring village of Great Cornard, has a population of approximately 20,000. The other market town – Hadleigh – where the Council’s offices are located, has a population of approximately 7,000. Ipswich (10 miles from Hadleigh) is now spilling over into the District, and has a population of 130,000 people.
Most of the once famous wool towns, however, have turned to new enterprises, including tourism. Over 42,000 of the population in Babergh are in employment. The largest employment sectors include manufacturing (31 per cent), service industry (26 per cent), public administration (15 per cent) and finance (11 per cent). |
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