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The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was a quango set up in 1981 to regenerate the Docklands area of east London. It was responsible for an area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²) in the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark. In the United Kingdom, Development Corporations are bodies set up by national government and charged with the urban development of an area, outside the usual system of Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom. ...
The term Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation (or QUANGO), attributed to Sir Douglas Hague, was originally invented as a joke, but fell into common usage in the United Kingdom to describe the agencies produced by the growing trend of government devolving power to appointed, or self-appointed bodies. ...
1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Docklands is the semi-official name for an area in the east of London, England, comprising parts of several boroughs (Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Newham) in Greater London. ...
London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...
Newham Town Hall in East Ham (E6) Arms of Newham London Borough Council Logo on the roadside at sunset The London Borough of Newham is a London borough in East London. ...
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames in East London. ...
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough, located on the south side of the River Thames. ...
It was established by the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, under section 136 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. It was financed by a grant from central government and from the proceeds from the disposal of land for development. The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position. ...
Michael Heseltine walks out of the cabinet meeting having resigned, January 9, 1986 The Right Honourable Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (born 21 March 1933), is a British Conservative politician and businessman. ...
It stewardship saw the construction of the Docklands Light Railway and many architecturally-interesting buildings, including the tallest buildings presently in the UK at Canary Wharf. It was able to permit these to be built as controls on planning permission, normally controlled by the local boroughs, were handed to the LDDC. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport metro for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London, England. ...
—Robert Brownings Andrea del Sarto, from Men and Women (1855) For many millennia the record holder for worlds tallest structure was clearly defined (see table below. ...
HSBC Tower (left), 1 Canada Square (centre), Citigroup Centre (right) 1 Canada Square (Canary Wharf tower) Canary Wharf, seen from a high-level walkway on Tower Bridge Canary Wharf tube station (Jubilee Line) Docklands Light Railway station and entrance to underground station Canary Wharf in Tower Hamlets, London, United Kingdom...
It began a staged withdrawal in 1994 and was formally wound up in 1998. Under a process called "dedesignation" the powers it held reverted to the London Boroughs. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...
1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...
Pre 1981 The area suffered substantial bomb damage during the second world war which lead to the need for a substantial rebuilding programme. In the first two decades after the second world war, many of the buildings in the docklands reached the end of their usefulness. There were several factors which contributed to the decline of the post dockland area. These include: - London's role as the centre of world trade had declined during the years following World War 2, so, therefore, much of the dock space and warehousing was no longer needed.
- The area suffered due to larger, modern cargo ships not being able to negotiate their course up river. Also, advances in transport technology, most notably container ports meant that there was a need for deepwater docking facilities. These could only be found further downstream both down river in Tilbury and other parts of the UK, eliminating the need for cargo ships to travel up to the dockland area and reducing the economic viability of the docks.
- Many manufacturing activities were attracted by government incentives to 'New Towns' and other out-of-town sites where costs were lower. As a result of this, much of the canal and railway land had fallen derelict.
As a result of all these factors combined, the docks closed. East India dock was closed in 1967, and trade in the other docks began to fall. This had two main results: - High rates of unemployment
- Derelict land
Between 1961 and 1971, almost 83,000 jobs were lost in the five boroughs in the Docklands area (Greenwich, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark). A large percentage of these jobs were from large transnational corporations. The decline was heightened by government policies which favoured the growth of industry outside london. High unemployment was accompanied by population decline. Whilst inner London 10% of its population between 1961 and 1971, the figures for Tower Hamlets and Southwark were 18% and 16% respectivley.
The housing in the Docklands area was mostly council, terraced housing and flats.
During development By the 1970's, London's Docklands had come to be recognised as 'the largest redevelopment opportunity in Europe'. The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was set up by Margaret Thatcher's conservative government in 1981. It was largley established by the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, under section 136 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. It was financed by a grant from central government and from the proceeds from the disposal of land for development. It was to 'take over the role' of local government and take responsibility for the development of the area. Its' main aim was to regenerate the Docklands area by: - Improving the environment in and around the Docklands area.
- Creating a good environment for private investors, who invested 7.2 billion GBP in the area.
- Providing improved transport infrastructure in the area in the form of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London city airport as well as the consstruction of 145km of new and improves roads.
The scheme was funded by a grant from central government. In order to attract development and fill up the Isle of Dogs, new roads and office buildings were built such as the Docklands' flagship scheme--Canary Wharf.
From 1981, the Docklands saw the largest concentration of new house building in inner London. The tenure of this new housing was predominatley owner-occupied. The Docklands redevelopment coincided, and became synonymous with, the house price inflation boom, with prices spiraling rapidly.
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