The redevelopment of London’s docklands areas began over 40 years ago. Now, however, it looks like there could be another surge in regeneration and development in these areas. With that it mind let’s overview what’s going on now and what’s planned across the three largest former dockland areas.
London was once the world’s biggest port, with its docklands occupying approximately nine square miles across several areas to the east of the centre. Traffic levels began to decline considerably from the 1950s onwards as trade patterns shifted, containerisation took hold and shipping moved out to places like Tilbury and Felixstowe. By the late 1970s London’s traditional dockland areas were largely derelict.
In 1981, the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, formed the London Docklands Development Corporation in order to commence regeneration of these areas.
Perhaps because it is closest to central London, the first area to come into focus was Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs. With the financial services industry in the capital growing briskly at the time developers Olympia and York began work to create a new financial district to rival the City of London in 1988. In order to connect this then remote district to the City, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) was built. This was followed in later years by the arrival of the London Underground and, more recently, the Elizabeth Line providing fast links to the City, West End and Heathrow Airport.
Canary Wharf developed apace during the 1990s, particularly with the completion of the 50-floor One Canada Square commercial tower. Canary Wharf is now said to have been Europe’s largest regeneration project and one of its most successful. Principal owners Canary Wharf Group (CWG) Plc manage 9m sq.ft. of mixed use space here and there is a daily working population of around 120,000 people. There is also an extensive range of retail and leisure amenities and the district claims to be one of the UK’s busiest ‘city centres’ with a footfall of 72m people. A decade ago, a residential element was added beginning with 1,400 BTR apartments and now 3,500 people live here.
A new extension to the east, Wood Wharf, commenced construction a decade ago. Once fully built out within the next couple of years it will offer around 2m sq.ft. of commercial space in total, 350,000 sq.ft of retail and leisure and around 3,600 more private and BTR homes. Just to the north, the new North Quay is shaping up as Canary Wharf’s dedicated science, health and technology district.
