TFM Radio Ice Arena
| Billingham | |
|---|---|
 Billingham Town Centre |
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 Billingham
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| Billingham shown within County Durham | |
| Population | 35,165 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NZ470240 |
| • London | 255 mi (410 km) |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BILLINGHAM |
| Postcode district | TS22, TS23 |
| Dialling code | 01642 |
| Police | Cleveland |
| Fire | Cleveland |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Billingham is a town in County Durham, England, with a population of 35,765 (2006),decreasing slightly to 35,165 at the 2011 Census. It was founded circa 650 by a group of Angles known as Billa's people, which is where the name Billingham is thought to have originated. In modern history, the chemical industry, and in particular the company ICI, has played an important role in the growth of Billingham.
Today ICI no longer operates in Billingham, although other chemical companies are working in the area. Following the fragmentation and ultimate loss of the chemicals conglomerate, ICI, the Billingham Chemical Industrial park became a multi-company facility. The chemical, biotechnology and engineering companies that continue to operate at Billingham are members of the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). They include GrowHow, Johnson Matthey, FujiFilm Diosynth Biologics and Fruitarom. Other members of the NEPIC Cluster operate from the 62 acre Belasis Business Park in Billingham such as Cambridge Research Biochemicals, ABB Group and Biochemica. Growhow not only manufacture fertilisers & industrial chemicals in Bilingham they also capture the CO2 for use in the food & drink industry. Tomatoes are grown in Billingham by North Bank Growers using the recoverable energy from the Billingham complex, which further reduces the area's carbon footprint.
A clue to Billingham's early origins is seen in the prominent Anglo-Saxon tower of St Cuthbert's Parish Church. The tower was built c. AD 1000, but elements of a late-7th/early-8th-century Nave also remain, and there is a 7th-century grave-marker from the church in the British Museum.
With the declaration of the First World War, a high demand for explosives led to a massive expansion of Billingham. In 1917, Billingham was chosen to be the site of a new chemical works supplying ammonia for the war. However, the plant was completed in 1920, after the war had ended. The Brunner Mond Company took over the site, and converted it to manufacture fertilisers. In December 1926, Brunner Mond merged with three other chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), who took control of the plant. ICI began to produce plastics at Billingham in 1966.
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Wikipedia