Axminster: SWOT

Location - not in a sphere of control or influence of major local town or city, has always been an independent town.
Surrounded by high wealth areas including Beer, Lyme Regis and Sidmouth
Unique Railway asset serving immediate area with direct links to Exeter and London. Exeter, the regional capital and one of the fastest growing cities in Europe
Education - Colyton Grammer, Exeter Uni (top 10 in UK) Exeter College, Bicton College on the ‘door step’,
Track record of being an independent minded town due to more ‘isolated’ location ( flamingo pool, numerous business start-ups)
Entrepreneurial town / track record- River Cottage, Axminster Power Tools, Axminster Carpets, Jaffe Feathers, Arada Stoves, KeyTech and more recently Axminster Gymnastics, East Devon Physio Centre and Collate interiors.
Known for quality / luxury companies- world famous brands, chefs and tools. Demand for more employment space very high serving high wealth Lyme Regis
History of industry and business expertise
Less reliant on tourism vs Lyme, Beer, Seaton

Recent decline - now known locally as ‘Smackminster’
Neglective strategy over decades- who cares?
Key infrastructure projects and future housing dependant on large corporates with poor public relations record (but record bonus / profits)
Location - not near a major town or city
Can not become solely a commuter town, will always ‘lose’ vs closer alternatives (Honiton, Ilminster, Bridport)
Can not become solely a tourist town, it will always lose out to Beer, Lyme Regis and Seaton.
Leadership- used to have local control of planning and other key wealth driving decisions, was centralised some 30 years ago triggering the start of the decline
Loss of public sector roles in town
Demographic of East Devon, with less young and more old has driven a decline in
educational facilities.
Education - lost 6th form college, local children hugely unfunded vs South East children, £4,000 vs £9,000 per child, area is sparse meaning local rural primary schools see less pupils driving consolidation.
Colyton Grammar - now a school for Devon plus, not East Devon
Town growth is moving away from the centre ‘creating 2 towns’ but only exacerbates old town flood risk with extra run off / facility usage

The town and surrounding area offers a very desirable place to live for young families as well as old
No lack of land supply vs Exeter and other larger towns
Chance for a great reset and learn lessons from other towns regeneration attempts, both good and bad
Greater lean towards localisation, renationalisation and devolved powers
Levelling Up Agenda - Axminster must be a ‘classic case’ in Devon
Industry, China and the red wall - massive move towards in-sourcing the manufacturing sector (historically some 20%+ of UK GDP now less than 5%) as the world wakes up to Chinas cheap manufacturing position and use of labour / bypassing environmental laws.
Axminster has always been an industrious, entrepreneurial and independent town

Flood and Flood Zone position of town.
The Cornish Economy is reliant on tourism and argriculture. Both sectors dominate the regional economy, but offer limited social mobility and prospects for younger people as they need either ‘inherited’ assets or significant capital to compete or to start a business
Brain Drain - most young people in rural towns, tend to move out due to lack of
employment prospects
2nd home ownership in the South West creates house inflation for the limited number of young families, further exacerbated by a lack of prosperity and opportunity for younger people despite the area being economically healthy
due to the grey pound

Its our time