bauhaus kolleg xii - mid term presentation
DESCRIPTION
Was Bata company a catalyst for the region of East Tilbury?TRANSCRIPT
topic: A Catalyst for the Region?project participants:Susana S. Saraiva
Bauhaus Kolleg XII (2010/2011)
East TilburyEngland
HISTORYWhen starting researching for this topic it seemed
not necessary to look for the reasons for Bata UK choice: The company wanted to conquer the British mar-ket being the only remaining question why the selection of the particular site of East Tilbury for its main satellite city and how did it relate to its surround-ings.
However, during the field research we realized that there were technicalities of the Bata company that we were not aware before, namely its organization and strategy to reach foreign markets.
In 1931, in order to survive the Great Depression, and the protective policies of European countries ap-plying taxes to foreign companies the company estab-lishes factories abroad, together with housing estates for employees in the style of Zlín architecture creat-ing a coherent image recognisable as Bata.
In Britain’s case, Bata starts selling in that country around 1920s and a trading office is established in London already in 1924.
In 1933 Bata East Tilbury starts producing and un-til 1965 several others production plants are estab-lished in Britain to support East Tilbury production.
From 1960s onward Trade Union becomes stronger and Bata company starts its withdrawal from Britain selling part of the estate in 1970; subcontracting and demol-ishing several communal facilities in the estate around 1975. In 1980 Bata sells the housing estate and the shops to Sears and finally closes in 2006.
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
BATA STARTS SELLING IN THE BRITISH MARKET
BATA SHOE AND LEATHER CO.:LONDON TRADING OFFICE
BATA BUYS SITE IN EAST TILBURY FOR A BATA CITY
BATA EAST TILBURY STARTS PRODUCING RUBBER AND LEATHER FOOTWEAR
BATA MARYPORT, CUMBRIA STARTS PRODUCING RUBBER FOOTWEAR
BATA DUDLEY, WEST MIDLANDS STARTS PRODUCING HEAVY INDUSTRIAL LEATHER BOOTS AND FOOTBALL BOOTS
BATA ET = 3000 WORKERSBRITISH BATA = 5000 WORKERS
MANUFACTURE BEGANS TO SHIFT OVERSEAS
PART OF BATA PROPERTY IS SOLD TO FAIRVIEW PRIVATE DEVELOPERS
BATA BEGANS TO CONTRACDEMOLISHION OF FARM, SCHOOL, T.COLLEGE, SWIMING POOL
BATA SELLS HOUSIGN ESTATEBATA SELLS RETAIL SHOPS
FACTORY IS DISPOSEDPRODUCTION CONTINUES IN RENTED SPACE
PRODUCTION IN RENTED SPACE STOPS
BATA COMPANY CLOSES
BATA CUMNOCK, SCOTLAND STARTS PRO-DUCING FOOTWEAR
1920 1924 1931 1933 1940 1945 1949 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1997 2004 2006
PEAK
WHY BRITAIN?In the beginning of 1930s the Bata shoe company
rules the European shoe market. It looks only logical its move to conquer the UK market. Britain however, had a well-established shoe industry in the north, based on the British tradition, of customize and quality footwear. British Bata would shake this in-dustry with its cheap prices of canvas footwear sold on groovy shops with complete foot care services.
In the Bata organization each subsidiary company had a great degree of independence, following the guidelines of the mother company but with specific goals and market targets.
British Bata was responsible for:Far East and West Indies market, inclusive sur-
vey for new places for establishing new production plants;
Search for new raw materials sources in Africa, USA and Canada;
Training workers and managers to supervise ac-tions on those areas like Sierra Leone, Malaysia, USA and Canada;
Around 1960s, the Trading office in London is closed and moved to Canada, along with the company headquarters, British Bata planning department is then responsible for designing plans and buildings especially for Bata India.
So, unlike our first understanding of the company, East Tilbury was not just a Bata satellite city, pro-ducing shoes for the British Market according to the Headquarters commands, but an independent company with its own market targets, goals, suppliers, etc…
It was also pretty much export oriented – 40% of its total production was sent to mainly Far East and West Indies.
Confirming this hypothesis is the fact that, when looking for Bata advertisements in UK fashion maga-zines from 1935 to 1975, we can hardly find anything. The company didn’t focused on promoting its image to the British public. It relied on governmental con-tracts and exports for its sustainability.
So, why Britain? Because of the British Colonies potential, not only in terms of market sells, but also in the opportunity of establishing production plants in places with less protective polices against for-eign companies, less demanding bureaucratic proce-dures, less workers protection, less Trade Unionism (even if that was not always the case, like in India, it still compensated in terms of workers rights, to set up on those countries).
And also because of the enormous availability of raw materials at very competitive prices.
As production plants start functioning in those countries the company starts exporting mainly to Eu-rope, North America and Canada. As competition grows and Bata starts loosing its governmental contracts (great amount coming from the war), the company’s former leadership is taken over.
Today however one of Bata’s main markets is In-dia, which proofs that Britain, was probably a very well calculated bet.
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
WHY BRITAIN?
FAR EAST
WEST INDIES
EXPORTS - MAIN
IMPORTS
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS
EXPORT 40% OF TOTAL PRODUCTION
IMPORT
RAW MATERI
AL - RU
BBER
IMPORT RAW
MATERIAL - RUBBER + OTHERS
EXPORT 40% OF TOTAL PRODUCTION
IMPORT RAW MATERIAL - LEATHER
IMPOR
T RAW MATERIAL - LEATHER
BRITISH COLONIES
BRITISH BATAThere was: a leather factory in Lancashire; a
Mill in Leicester (textiles); production plant at Maryport, established in 1940, specialized in rubber footwear; production plant at Dudley, West Midlands in 1949, specialized in heavy industrial leather footwear and football boots; production plant at Cumnock established in 1965, we believe specialized in canvas footwear (?).
All the production of these facilities would be transported to Bata East Tilbury thru the company’s lorries and then distributed to the British mar-ket also by lorry or exported by boat, thru Tilbury docks.
Apparently, the train trasportation was never heavily used by Bata, despite its close location to East Tilbury. One of the reasons might be the prob-lems existing between the rail company and Bata from the beginning of the settlement. Bata had to have long negotiations with the rail company to be al-lowed to build a station on site. It was only built in the end of 1930s, paid by Bata on location chosen by the rail company and not on site desired by Bata.
British Bata followed the model established by the mother company in Zlín including production sys-tem, architecture, planning, communication, social and professional ethics.
For that reason the company tend to prefer un-skilled or semi-skilled people to be trained from scratch, moulded into the Bata way. Even those hired for higher positions, like management, had to com-plete the Bata training that included experience in all departments of the production plants, from cleaning, to production, sales and management.
In British case, as the company decides to settle a production plant in this country around 1930-31, it complied not only with the traditional planning rules, but also the vertical control organization of the company.
The new settlement was located slightly near the London Trading office, to the East, along side the River Thames, next to Tilbury docks: the main ex-port/import facility of London and Britain.
The central location, near the capital city and the main export facility allowed quick connections both out as to the inner land where there were the more proper places to establish other Bata companies aimed to support East Tilbury:
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
BRITISH BATA
FAR EAST
WEST INDIES
40%
300 SHOPS60%
TRADING OFFICE1935-1960S
EAST TILBURY1933-2006
TANERY
MILL
MARYPORT 1940
CUMNOCK 1964
DUDLEY 1949
HISTORICAL REASONS FOR ALLOCATION
Following the general common Bata rules, the set-tlement is located near a big economic centre (and Bata trading office), but far enough to not be influ-enced by its urbanity.
Bata wanted to be located in a region that had no shoe tradition so that the potential employees would not come with “professional habits”; slightly rural in character with cheap land and not influenced by trade unionism. That way people were more likely to comply with Bata rules, and subject themselves to Batas working conditions.
The site chosen, in the East of London, was suf-fering for de-industrialization for some years with a high rate of unemployment being Tilbury docks the main employer of the region. Even if the payments in the docks were high, there was no security in the job, because the workers were hired by the day, and you never knew if you would have a job tomorrow.
Bata recruited workers mainly from the surround-ing villages or towns.
The site was a potato farm, crossed by a main road that connected an old military fort located on the Riverside (Coalhouse fort) to the rail line and up North to Grays, and London to the West and South-end to the East. There was also a road connecting to Tilbury docks.
The land was mainly Marshfield’s with gravel in the sublevel considered good both for laying out the foundations of buildings and to be used as construc-tion material.
On the North side the farm was crossed by London-Southend rail line.
Even if, that track existed since 1850 this area remained quite rural in character (around 90%), which was considered a plus by Tomas Bata.
If we analyse the growth of London, and the sur-rounding area of East Tilbury, we realize that the settlement still remains quite detached from its surroundings, being the exception the neighbourhoods dating from 1970s. The old urban centres continue their modest development, unaware of Bata existence, and some others appear more related to the previous than to Bata settlement.
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
HISTORICAL REASONS FOR ALLOCATION
GREATER LONDON AND EAST THAMES - 1940 GREATER LONDON AND EAST THAMES - 1979 GREATER LONDON AND EAST THAMES - 2010
THURROCK 1935
-
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPEORSETT
ROMFORD
TILBURY
GRAVESEND
MAIN URBAN SETTLEMENTS
RIVER THAMES
BATA SETTLEMENT
THURROCK COUNCIL
RAIL LINE LONDON-SOUTHEND 1850
MAIN ROADS
GRAYS
EAST TILBURY
CHAFFORD HUNDRED
Farmer Wilson farm: - marshfields facilitate construction - gravel below can be ex-tracted and used for construc-tion
LONDON
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - URBAN SETTLEMENTS
In 1931, Thurrock council was considered by many “the wasteland of London”, preferential place for settling of industrial activity connected to the River Thames, it was clearly in decay by that time. The main industry in the area was cement (the extrac-tion of chalk and clay led to the existence of a lot of quarries in the area), brick, soap, margarine and oil refineries in west Thurrock, because oil, could not pass Coalhouse fort area, for the safety of Lon-don.
However, as said before, all these industries were dying around the time Bata announced the inten-tion of coming to the area. Obviously the news was received with appraisal. The council was suffering by severe unemployment rates. The area was mainly rural 90%, mainly potato culture, sold in London on Convent Garden and transported by train. There was clear lack of transport infrastructures and facili-ties besides the rail and docks mainly existing to serve industry and London.
The main settlements were Tilbury town, Grays, Orset, Stanford-le-Hope. The market was in Romford were people from the region would go once a week, and to Gravesend for leisure on the weekends.
As Bata settles in, it catches mainly people from this surrounding settlements, plus Chadwell and some from the other side of the River – Gravesend – who would come by ferry. They would cycle in, walk and use Bata bus service mainly.
Besides all Bata promises, the settlement never became more than a small village, hosting less than 1/4 of its workers. Most workers remained in their hometown, commuting everyday to East Tilbury.
As reported by a former manager, arriving at East Tilbury train station was impressive: the intense smell of rubber, and the movement of cars and people concentrated in that small place in the middle of green fields was astonishing.
The company didn’t seem to have any suppliers in the region besides shoebox making.
The facilities on site were enough for resi-dents but didn’t attracted outsiders accept, maybe on weekends, for special events in the ballroom.
The surrounding areas continue to develop, inde-pendent from the Bata settlement. As it starts its decline, there is no support urban structure to hold it, except, the old residents and the Designation of English Heritage.
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - URBAN SETTLEMENTS
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPEORSETT
ROMFORD
TILBURY
GRAVESEND
GRAYSEAST TILBURY
CHAFFORDHUNDRED
THURROCK 1935
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPE
HORNDON HILL
ORSETT
TILBURY
GRAVESEND
GRAYS
CHAFFORDHUNDRED
WEST THURROCK
PURFLEET
AVELEY
CHADWELLST.MARY
LINFORDEAST TILBURY
SOUTH OCKEDON
NORTH STIFFORD
SOUTH STIFFORD
NORTH OCKEDON
THURROCK 2010
BASILDON
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - TRANSPORT
GRAVESEND
EAST TILBURY
THURROCK 1935
ST.CHADS RD
OCKENDON R
D
ST MARYS LN
RAINHAM RD
WARLEY ST
THE MANORWAY
LONDON RD
CALCUTTA
RAINHAM RDS
NORTH ROAD
NEW ROAD A1306
BRENTWOOD ROAD A128
DOCK RD
GRAVESEND
EAST TILBURY
THURROCK 2010
M25
ST.CHADS RD
OCKENDON R
D
ST MARYS LN
RAINHAM RD
WARLEY ST
THE MANORWAY
LONDON RD
CALCUTTA
RAINHAM RDS
NORTH ROAD
NEW ROAD A1306
BRENTWOOD ROAD A128
DOCK RD
A13
A206
A127
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - TRANSPORT
Today, Thurrock Council presents, ironically many characteristics of 1930: suffering severely from the effects of de-industrialization, lack of infrastruc-tures, lack of facilities, high rate of unemployment, lack of life quality standards. The area remains a mix of countryside with industrial landscape. Til-bury docks are still operating as major receiver of imports to the country – goods and people. But a new container port is being planned East of East Til-bury that will certainly produce some changes in the character of the region.
There is also a lot of pressure to extend the growth of London to this area, but maybe because of its past history, Thurrock people tend to mistrust London’s intentions. Curiously enough, they tend to refuse any kind of development for the region.
The Bata settlement, remains, a small village in the middle of green fields, enclosed by the rail line. Only residents go to that area.
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION
EASTTILBURY
RIVER THAMES
WESTTHURROCK
lakeside
arena essexraceway CHAFFORD
HUNDRED
CHADWELLST.MARY
WEST TILBURY
BADGERSDENE
TILBURY
ORSETT
NORTHSTIFFORD
STANFORD-LE-HOPE
BULPHAN
LITLE MALGRAVES
NORTHOCKENDON
CORRINGHAM
SHELL HAVEN
CORYTON
LONDONGATEWAY
FORBING
SOUTHOCKENDON
EASTTILBURY
GRAYSPURFLEET
NORTHFLEETSWANSCOMBEGREENHITHE
STONE
GRAVESEND
SOUTHSTIFFORD
AVERLY
GREATLONDON
M25
EUROSTAR
BATASETTLEMENT
THURROCK COUNCIL
MAIN ACCESS ROADS
SECONDARY ACCESS ROADS
RAIL LINE
EUROSTAR
RIVER THAMES
BATA SETTLEMENT
SURROUNDING URBAN AREAS
RAIL LINE STATION
EUROSTAR STATION
RIVER THAMES
HORNDON-ON-HTE-HILL
LINFORD
LONDON-SOUTHEND
A13
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - COMERCIAL CENTRES
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPEORSETT
ROMFORD
TILBURY
GRAVESEND
GRAYSEAST TILBURY
CHAFFORDHUNDRED
MARKET - ONCE WEEK
BATA SETTLEMENT
THURROCK 1935
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPE
HORNDON HILL
ORSETT
TILBURY
GRAVESEND
GRAYS
CHAFFORDHUNDRED
WEST THURROCK
PURFLEET
AVELEY
CHADWELLST.MARY
LINFORD
EAST TILBURY
SOUTH OCKEDON
NORTH STIFFORD
SOUTH STIFFORD
NORTH OCKEDON
THURROCK 2010
BATA SETTLEMENT
SHOPPING
BASILDON
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - COMMERCIAL CENTRES
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPEORSETT
ROMFORD
GRAYS
GRAVESEND
EAST TILBURY
CHAFFORDHUNDRED
THURROCK 1935
MARKET ONCE A WEEK
MARKET - ONCE WEEK
WORK
LEISURE - WEEKENDS
BATA SETTLEMENT
COMMUTING TO LONDON
TILBURY
CORRINGHAM
STANFORD-LE-HOPE
HORNDON HILL
ORSETT
TILBURY
GRAVESEND
GRAYS
CHAFFORDHUNDRED
WEST THURROCK
PURFLEET
AVELEY
CHADWELLST.MARY
LINFORD
EAST TILBURY
SOUTH OCKEDON
NORTH STIFFORD
SOUTH STIFFORD
NORTH OCKEDON
THURROCK 2010
SHOPPING
WORK
LEISURE - WEEKENDS
SOUTHEND
BASILDON
COMMUTING TO LONDON
CONDITIONS OF THE REGION - MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
PORTRAIT OF THE REGION
PORTRAIT OF THE REGIONPURFLEET
RAINHAM
BARKING
DAGENHAM DOCK
WEST HAM
LIMEHOUSE
FENCHURCH STREET
GRAYS
TILBURY
STANFORD-LE-HOPE
PITSEA
BENFLEETLEIGH-ON-SEA
EAST TILBURY
PORTRAIT OF THE REGION
BAUHAUS KOLLEG XII (2010|2011)URBAN FOOTPRINTS: BATA CITIES - MID-TERM PRESENTATION
A CATALYST FOR THE REGION - EAST TILBURYSUSANA SOARES SARAIVA
THE END