Case Study: London Docklands

London Docklands location

The London docklands are located in London, in the south-east of England, on the 'Isle of Dogs' which is on a large meander in the River Thames, made famous by Eastenders

what were the problems with the London Docklands before regeneration?

-Dock communities remained poor despite the wealth coming into the country at the docks.

-Population decline and employment decline.

-Poor access to Central London

-High-density housing and lack-of facilities.

what were the London Docklands like before they experienced industrial decline?

-at their height, over 600 million tonnes of cargo handled a year at the docks.

-150000 people worked in or around the docks at this time.

-from the 1950s onwards, the docks were key in the fight between the trade unions and the Government, strikes organised

why did the London Docklands go into decline?

-By the end of the 1950s, the London Docklands went into decline due to containerisation and mechanisation, as cranes and machinery were used instead of people.

-Ships had also increased in size so many could no longer navigate the large meander and the water around the Isle of Dogs was no longer deep enough for these ships.

-New docks were built further down the river instead and this was key in the decline aswell.

-By 1979, the London Docklands were derelict.

-No railway, no tube, poor transport connections, only 1 bus service and route, which made it very isolated from Central London.

-Portside industries and manufacturing had also declined.

-for every dockworker's job, 5-10 other jobs (assembly lines etc) were lost.

when was the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) set up?

1981

criticisms of UDCs

-the new employment provided is inadequate

-they are too dependant on property speculation and lost huge sums of money through compulsory purchase of land that fell in value

-democratic accountability is questionable as they have planning approval powers over and above local authority as well as the ability to compulsory purchase, effectively by-passing democracy.

other parties involved in the regeneration process

-National Government - they created an Isle of Dogs Enterprise Zone in April 1982 - offering incentives such as grants, reduced rates etc. to encourage private investment.

-Property Developers - responsible for building large office blocks (e.g. Canary Wharf)

-Local Housing Association - obtained home improvement grants

-Conservation Groups

-Newham Council

the regeneration process details

-The land was sold very quickly to developers

-The land was physically developed with wasteland and derelict buildings removed

-8000 jobs provided immediately

-1500 social houses built

-promise that ¼ of jobs would go to the local population

-London Docks Development Scheme was responsible for the regeneration process.

-funding of £70 million has risen to £300 million

-powers to compulsory purchase, answerable straight to the Secretary of State for Environmental Development.

-close-knit community with bottom-up developments

environmental changes to the area 1981-1998

-pedestrian and cycle routes created with access to river and dock-edge through waterside walkways

-pedestrian bridges built

-150Ha of new open spaces

-Water based Ecology Park and London's first bird sanctuary at East India Dock Basin - one of 17 conservation areas set up.

-planting of 200,000 trees

social changes to the area 1981-1998

-£10 million spent on improving of council and housing association homes.

-22,000 new homes built (mainly private ownership with approximately 19% available for rent).

- conversion and gentrification of old warehouses to new homes

-New shopping centre built - including 4,600sq metres of Asda and shopping promenades cleaned up.

-Transformation of old dockland buildings into shopping outlets (e.g. Tobacco Dock)

- Large new shopping centre at Canary Wharf with over 30 shops and many restaurants, pubs and cafes built.

- Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre

-£100 million spent on health, education, training etc...

economic changes to the area 1981-1998

-unemployment fallen by half (14% to 7.4%) and employment and number of businesses doubled.

-Docklands light railway opened in 1987 and since transports over 35000 passengers a week.

-£7.7 billion in private sector investment

- 2,700 businesses trading

- major new roads including link to the M11

-City airport built in the old Royal Docks, transports 500000+ passengers a year

successes of the regeneration scheme

+ more trade for local shopkeepers

+cheaper rents for major companies but only 10 mins away from Central London

+22000 new housing units and 1000s of new jobs

+significantly improved accessibility

failures of the regeneration scheme

-hasn't benefitted the original "East-enders"

-skyrocketed house prices so forced locals out

-lack of low-costing housing in the area

-new jobs require new skills that the old dockers don't have (not inclusive)

-reduction in community spirit.

evaluation of the regeneration scheme

Overall, the Regeneration Scheme has been a success with the new London Docks fitting in with the glass metropolis of the London Landscape. Thousands of new homes and new jobs have been provided and the area has improved dramatically on the visual front. On the other hand, some feel that the locals and the old dockers have been neglected by the regeneration process and therefore the process is also unsuccessful. The redevelopment of the London Docks was a predominately Top-Down Scheme hence, the locals were not consulted on the changes that would be made to their homes. Top-down development schemes are flawed in that they neglect the needs and wants of the local population and their 'sense of place' therefore, the Regeneration Scheme has been both successful and unsuccessful.