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The Initial Response Was To Formulate A Strategic Plan For Regeneration. In ...


The initial response was to formulate a strategic plan for regeneration. In 1974, the new Environment Secretary, Geoffrey Ripon, established the Docklands Joint Committee (DJC) in order to prepare and implement such a plan. The committee included members of the GLC, members of the local Borough Councils (Greenwich, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets) and representatives from business suggested by Ripon. Learning from the 1973 report, the group consulted locally (ibid: 8).
The Docklands Development Organisation (a professional structure serving the Docklands Joint Committee) published an upbeat progress report in or around 1980, inferring that development was well underway Docklands is being redeveloped to a strategic plan approved by the Docklands Joint Committee in 1976There is a strong emphasis on the active encouragement of existing and new commerce and industry. But also fundamental to the scheme is the creation of balanced communities (DDO 1980?: 6). The document goes on to mention plans for 23,000 new houses (ibid).
Yet progress was slow, quickly falling behind schedule due to cuts in public expenditure and a lack of land acquisition powers (Church 1988: 203). Additionally, there was dissent particularly from local political bodies and community groups.
The Joint Docklands Action Group was one of the more vocal community groups, although it has been suggested that the level of support for them within Docklands was limited, and they were perceived as ‘outsiders' (Foster 1999: 49). In 1976 JDAG published ‘Docklands: The Fight for a Future', setting out a list of requirements which it felt that the Docklands Joint Committee were failing to address. These included the need for more council housing due to incomes in the area being inadequate for house purchase, jobs suited to the local skill base, and initiatives to meet social and community needs. They emphasised the need for Government funding as these were not the kind of projects to attract private investment.
JDAG also noted the business costs of operating in London and lack of land for capital expansion, leading to companies leaving the area and skilled labour migrating with it. The consequence was, argued JDAG, a decrease in skill levels in the area, affecting the remaining businesses' pool of resources. Poor public transport in the area exacerbated such a problem (JDAG 1976: 4-9). It was also suggested that the DJC's plans miscalculated the affordability of tenancies and house purchases (ibid: 20). JDAG argued that the majority of Dockland housing should be council housing (ibid: 24).

The Borough of Tower Hamlets published its own suggestions for regeneration in January 1977: the ‘Wapping Plan' of its London Docks Steering Group, suggesting housing for 5000 as well as shopping, leisure facilities, schools and transport for 9000.


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