EAST RIDING & NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE - Geography and history
The area of East Riding and North Lincolnshire covers an area of 3,500km2 straddling the Humber estuary facing on to the North Sea. It comprises the unitary authorities of the East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston-upon-Hull on the north bank and North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire on the south bank. The land is mainly low lying although the northern and southern borders, with North Yorkshire and Lincolnshire respectively, consist of higher ground, known as the 'Wolds'. The main centre is the port of Kingston-upon-Hull on the north bank of the Humber, a major industrial city and international port with a long history, which had a population of around a quarter of a million in 2002. Other important towns are the ports of Immingham and Grimsby on the south of the Humber, and inland the steel making town of Scunthorpe.
The majority of the land of the area is used for intensive agriculture with arable crops and grains being grown, and the contribution of agriculture to the economy outside of the major towns is considerable.
The main road routes run east to west. The M62 motorway north of the river connects with Hull, while the M180 runs from Grimsby. As the M62, this route connects with Leeds and intersects with the A1 and M1 routes running north to south. There is also an international airport east of Scunthorpe, while scheduled passenger ferry services run from Hull to European destinations. The Humber estuary is a major natural barrier and poses problems in terms of integrating the economy and communications within the area. The most obvious example of action designed to combat these problems is the physical linking of Hull on the north bank with Barton-on-Humber on the south bank via the Humber Suspension Bridge which was opened in 1979. With a central span of 1,400 m this bridge is one of the longest single span bridges in the world.
Industrial development from the ports
Easy access to the river Humber facilitated the establishment of industrial ports. In recent decades, Britain's trade with Europe has grown rapidly, and the Humber ports complex of Hull, Grimsby/Immingham and Goole is now the UK's largest in terms of goods handled, In addition, Grimsby and Hull were historically centres for Britain's fishing fleet, although this has declined significantly in recent years.
The industries have developed largely from port activities, while transport and communication, oil refining, steel making, chemicals, and food processing are all important. Food processing is particularly important in Grimsby. Another natural resource is the good agricultural land covering much of the area, and the contribution of agriculture to the economy outside of the major towns is considerable. Coastal towns such as Cleethorpes and Bridlington have developed as tourist resorts principally serving the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
Despite this wide industrial base, unemployment in parts of East Riding and North Lincolnshire remains significantly above the average for the United Kingdom. In 2001/02 the unemployment rates in the districts of Hull and North East Lincolnshire was 9 per cent, the highest in England, after Middlesbrough. In East Riding, however, the rate at just over 4 per cent was below that for the UK.
Agriculture, ports and manufacturing
The nature of the sub-region varies considerably between the industrial areas, chiefly located on the coast, and the mainly rural areas to the north and west. The average population density, in 2002, was of 248 inhabitants per km2, in line with that for the UK. However in the districts of Kingston-upon-Hull, the population density is 3,400 persons per km2, while at the other extreme, East Riding of Yorkshire had around 130 persons per km2.
As throughout Britain generally, urban districts in the sub-region have experienced generally declining populations over the last few years, while rural districts' populations have increased. While the overall population of East Riding and North Lincolnshire, equal to 871 thousand in 2002, has grown by just 1 per cent since 1981, the population of East Riding of Yorkshire increased by 17 per cent and the population of Hull fell by 12 per cent.
The rural districts are, of course, more reliant on agriculture. Around 6 per cent of those in employment in East Riding of Yorkshire in 2001 worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing, compared to only 2.5 per cent for the sub-region as a whole. In North Lincolnshire, around 28 per cent were employed in the mining, manufacturing and the utilities industries, compared to only 18.5 per cent in East Riding and North Lincolnshire.
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