Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately 15 miles (24 km) south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry. At one point, 90% of the world's needles were manufactured in the town and its neighbourhoods.In the 1960s, it became a model for modern new town planning.