London Docklands

Docklands is actually a semi-official name given to an area lying in the eastern parts of London. It comprises of several of the boroughs of Greater London, namely Southwark, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Greenwich. The docklands were earlier parts of the Port of London, which used to form the largest port in the world. Later they were redeveloped primely for commercial and residential reasons. The name London Docklands is as recent as of the 1970s, when it was used for the first time in the governmental papers on redevelopment plans. Within no time, the name was as if universally adopted.

A number of dockyard complexes, all along the Thames, together comprise the London Docklands. If you begin your journey from the east and head towards the west, you will encounter respectively Royal Docks (Royal Victoria Dock, Royal Albert Dock & King George V Dock), East India Docks (Canning Town), West India Docks and Millwall Dock (Isle of Dogs), Surrey Commercial Docks (now Surrey Quays, Rotherhithe), Regent's Canal Dock (now Limehouse Basin, Limehouse), London Docks (Wapping), and St Katharine Docks (Wapping). The Docklands area is located mostly towards the northern bank of the Thames. It still comprises mainly of the former properties of the Port of London.

These docks were actually built by several private companies in constant competition with each other. Their history dates back to several centuries. However, a great threat to the region came in the period post World War II. There were thick and fast changes in the policies adopted in the domain of merchandise, and the Docklands suffered due to all these. During the period from1960 to 1980, one after another the docks were closing down. About 21 square kilometers of land was lying virtually unused. Unemployment, accompanied by poverty and other social problems, were on a high.

With all the docks closed, efforts were made to reopen them. But this redevelopment process took several years. As a matter of fact, it took almost a decade for the plans to move beyond the drawing boards. There were so many land owners involved - the PLA, the GLC (Greater London Council), the British Gas Corporation, British Rail, Central Electricity Generating Board, and five borough councils. This made the redevelopment program a really tough job.

The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was formed by the government in 1981 to specifically address this problem. In 1982, this region was designated as an 'enterprise zone'. It brought new life to the region as it meant there were exemptions on property tax and various other incentives for business purpose. There were the benefits of simplified planning or various capital allowances. This attracted several investors and the area witnessed a novel property boom in the consequent years.

The population of the Docklands area has more than doubled in the last twenty years. The region has become one of the major business hubs in the land as well as a residential area. There has been significant development in terms of a transportation system. There is now a tube connection to the Isle of Dogs via the Jubilee Line Extension. The DLR has been extended to Beckton, London City Airport, North Woolwich, Lewisham, and Stratford. The Canary Wharf today poses a threat to the financial dominance of the city with its monumental skyscrapers. Besides its being a business epicenter, Docklands is also fast developing into a large residential area. Though many of the old ware houses and Dockland wharves have undergone demolition, some have been redesigned into residential flats. Several of the docks are nowadays used as centers for water sports and marinas. The Dockland's revival has also revived the pulse of the entire region.

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