Case study: London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC)

When did the regeneration begin?

1981

How much did the regeneration cost in total?

£12.8 billion

How much money came from public investment?

£3.9 billion

How much money came from private investment?

£8.9 billion

Why did the Docklands close?

In 1981, due to containerisation, the docks became too small for modern ships. This meant that they had to be relocated.

Why did the area need regenerating?

• unemployment rates increased to 14%

• population decreased by 18%

• poor quality, government-owned housing

• inadequate transport links

• derelict land still remained from bomb damage from WW2

• the Docklands were derelict by 1979

• decreased quality of life

• increased crime rates

What was the Docklands like before the regeneration?

• 83,000 jobs lost between 1961 and 1971

• containerisation

• negative multiplier effect

• population decline in Tower Hamlets

• quality of life declined

What is the Docklands like after the regeneration?

• increased amount of open space (150 hectares)

• ecology park created with cycle routes and 20,000 trees

• unemployment rates halved from 14% to 7%

• 2,700 businesses created

• DLR (Docklands Light Railway) built in 1987

• 22,000 new homes built

• £10 million spent on council accommodation

• £100 million spent on education, healthcare, and job training

What were the key employment characteristics of the LDDC?

• halved unemployment to 7%

• 120,000 jobs created in Canary Wharf

• 2,700 independent businesses created

• growth in tertiary sector jobs due to increase in office space

• cheaper to rent space in the Docklands compared to the City (e.g., HSBC Corporate HQ is located in the Docklands)

• more than 70% of the 1,000+ jobs created at London City Airport are filled by people who live within a 5-mile radius of it

• new business district

What were the key housing characteristics of the LDDC

• 55,000 new homes built

• £10 million spent on social housing

• 28% reduction in number of council-owned homes

• worked to increase the number of affordable houses

• community-built housing

What were the key transport characteristics of the LDDC?

• DLR (Docklands Light Railway), with a stop at London City Airport

• London City Airport offered flights to nearby European cities and created over 4,000 jobs

• new roads built

• Docklands Highway Network

• Jubilee Line tube extension

What were the key environmental characteristics of the LDDC?

• 200,000 trees planted (mature trees planted in open spaces and beside roads)

• bicycle parks

• water sport facilities (e.g., Royal Victoria Docks Water Sports Centre)

How was the area regenerated?

• government established a UDC (Urban Development Corporation) with powers to make rapid planning decisions

• the LDDC received government grants and tax relief

• area was controlled by the local authority, private investors, and other bodies

What were some negative consequences of the regeneration?

• displacement of existing communities

• locals feared that outsiders would take the new jobs and leave them nothing