On this Page
A chronologial list of the key events in the life of the LDDC.
1980 1981
1982 1983
1984 1985
1986 1987
1988 1989
1990 1991
1992 1993
1994 1995
1996 1997 1998
More details of most of the events can be obtained from the LDDC's Press
Releases many of which are available on this site either on this page or via the Popular Press Releases page. Those not published online can be obtained (up to six) by e-mail or by post on a
CD [More Details of how to obtain CD]
Top of Page
1980
=> Local Government
Planning and Land Act 1980 (LGPLA 1980) authorises Secretary of State for the Environment to establish Urban Development Corporations (UDCs)
by Order.
=> Decision announced to set up UDC
for London Docklands.
=> Shadow Chairman (Nigel Broackes),
Vice Chairman (Bob Mellish) and Chief Executive (Reg
Ward) appointed.
=> Staff from the Department of the
Environment and the Docklands Development Organisation staff seconded
to help in setting up new UDC.
=> The draft Area and Constitution
Order published - 27th November 1980
=> Early decision taken not to fill
any more docks
Top of Page
1981
January-July => Shadow
staff settle into former Fred Olsen Line offices on the east side of the
Millwall Dock - the office is renamed "West India House"..
=> More shadow staff appointed including
Eddie Oliver (Director of Finance), Mel Hague (Director of Operations),
Ted Hollamby (Director of Planning) and Michael Wand (Director of Property).
=> House of Lords Select Committee appointed on 3rd February 1981 to hear objections to the LDDC's Area and Consitution Order. After sitting for 46 days the Select Committee issues its Report on 5th June 1981.
=> Parliament finally approves the the London Docklands
Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1980 (S.I. 1981/936).
2nd July => The LDDC
comes into being, the second UDC to be set up under the LGPLA 1980 (the
first was Merseyside Development Corporation). The LDDC's area embraces
5100 acres of three Lodnon Boroughs
=> Orders vesting in LDDC derelict
land in Docklands formerly owned by the local authorities, PLA and other
public bodies take effect and 657 acres are transferred to the Corporation.
December => First LDDC private housing
scheme - for 610 homes at Savage Gardens, Beckton - is given planning
permission.
Top of Page
 1982
January =>
Billingsgate Fish market moves to new premises on the Isle of Dogs
March =>
Bids accepted for the first LDDC private housing sites in Surrey Docks
- 480 homes
March => LDDC now has 69 members
of staff
April =>
Enterprise Zone of 482 acres is established in the Isle of Dogs [Press Release]
=> Canon Workshops on the Isle of Dogs
opened by LDDC Chairman
May => Arrangements announced for
the funding of community schemes [Press Release]
June =>  Dash 7 aircraft lands on
Heron Wharf on the Isle of Dogs to prove the concept of the suggested
airport in the Royal Docks.
=> Docklands Public Transport Steering Group reports [Summary of assessment of schemes]
August => Airport Feasibility Study published
September => Work begins on the first
Enterprise Zone roads on the
Isle of Dogs
October => Go ahead given for
the Docklands Light Railway
- detailed planning gets under way
N ovember
=> Guide to Design and Development Opportunities on the
Isle of Dogs published along with Development Strategy for Limehouse
December => Remaining 62 acres
of LDDC land in the Enterprise Zone put on the market
=> Work starts on industrial
units at Indescon Court in the Enterprise Zone
Top of Page
1983
January => LDDC appoints first
Community Liaison Officer
February =>
Development Strategy Future for Wapping published
March =>
House of Lords supports order vesting in LDDC 140 acres of the former
Surrey Docks - so-called the "Southwark Site" [More Details] .
May => Northern and Shell publishing
group start work on their new HQ in the Enterprise Zone
June => Public inquiry into airport
starts.
=> £100m invested in Enterprise
Zone in first year.
July => Daily Telegraph signs contract
for new print works in Docklands (News International already established
in Wapping)
August =>
Government approves £77m funding for the Docklands
Light Railway
September => Princess Alexandra formally
opens Enterprise Zone ("red-brick"
) roads and ASDA superstores at Beckton and on the Isle of Dogs.
November => LDDC acquires from PLA
land and waters in the Royal Victoria Dock.
=> Housebuilders on LDDC land report
2,208 homes completed.
=> LDDC unveils plans for the Southwark
Site
=> LDDC rebuts critical review by GLC
=> BT announces plans for a comprehenesive
fibre optic network for Docklands
December => LDDC Chairman Sir Nigel
Broackes announces he is to stand down in July 1984.
Top of Page
1984
January => Docklands Clipper
bus service starts linking Isle of Dogs with Mile End.
February =>
Heron Wharf on the Isle of Dogs sold to Tarmac Brookglade for development
May => LDDC awards Cherry Garden
Pier housing site in Southwark to Lovell Farrow
June => LDDC hosts USSR v Rest
of the World Chess Tournament in first ever satellite match
July => Sir Christopher Benson
takes over as LDDC Chairman.
September => Work starts on the original
Docklands Light Railway
November => Work starts on the
infrastructure for the Southwark Site
Top of Page
1985
January =>
LDDC publishes draft development Framework for the Royal Docks
February =>
The Guardian announces plans for printing works on the Isle of
Dogs
June => Airport proposal approved
by Government after inquiry and High Court challenge
September => Parliament asked
to approve £50m extension of Docklands
Light Railway to Beckton.
=> LDDC sponsors chess festival
October => LDDC Board approves £1.5bn
Master Plan for Canary Wharf submitted by consortium of American banks.
Work starts on negotiating the Master Building agreement.
Top of Page
1986
January => First contracts let
for new £30m Royal drainage system.
January/February =>LDDC
compulsorily acquires 746 acres of land in the Royal Docks and Lea Valley
Estuary. Other land acquired by agreement
March =>
LDDC announces meetings of its Planning Committee will now be held in
public.
=> Annual report says LDDC has spent
£279m to date and attracted £1182m in private investment
April => Bill approved to extend Docklands
Light Railway to Bank
May => Prince Charles lays Foundation
Stone at London City Airport
June => LDDC unveils its strategic
highways programme
July => Further construction
work on Royal drainage system commissioned.
=> Work on £646,000 project to
transform Silvertown Tramway into a landscaped route is completed.
September => Mail Newspapers
start work on printing works in Surrey Docks (later known as Harmsworth
Quay)
Top of Page
1987
January => Work begins on Tidal Basin
Pumping station
March =>
Social Facilities Programmes Unit (SFPU) set up in LDDC to provide
greater focus to the social and community, education, training, health,
welfare, tourism, arts, leisure and watersports aspects of the Corporation's
work. Later superseded by the Community Services Division
May => LDDC Board
approves negotiations with three consortia for major developments in the
Royal Docks (all of which foundered in the subsequent recesssion in the
property market):
~ Rosehaugh Stanhope for the north side of the Royal
Albert Dock and Albert Basin,
~ Laing/Fox/Vom for Londondome Arena proposal for the north side of the
Royal Victoria Dock
~ Heron/Mowlem/Conran Roche for south side of Royal Victoria Dock
=> Skillnet, LDDC sponsored
youth training scheme, launched.
=> Financial Times begins work
on its printing works in Leamouth.
July => Canary Wharf Master Building
Agreement signed
=> Original Docklands
Light Railway completed
September =>
LDDC and Newham sign Memorandum of Agreementsecuring package of social,
community and housing benefits
October => First Flights from London
City Airport.
=> International News Towns Association
Conference held in Royal Docks.
December => LDDC's first Chief Executive,
Reg Ward, leaves at the end
of the month. Replaced by Major General Jeremy Rougier who stayed
only 17 days and then resigned for "personal reasons".
Top of Page
1988
March => Michael
Honey appointed as LDDC's Chief Executive. [Press Release abouot appointment]
=> LDDC and ASDA launch computer based
Teleshopping scheme for the elderly and disabled on the Isle of Dogs.
April => Work begins on first building
contract at Canary Wharf and on the extension of the Docklands
Light Railway to Bank
=> Development brief for issued Surrey Quay
Phase II[More Details]
June =>
LDDC and Towers Hamlet sign Accord which secure significant benefits for
residents and clears the way for major road and rail projects [Press
Release about signing].
July => Elizabeth
Filkin appointed Director of Community Services and Sunny
Crouch as Director of Marketing.
=> BAe 146 demonstrated at London City
Airport.
October => Chairman Sir Christopher
Benson retires and is replaced by David Hardy.
=> Surrey Quays shopping centre opens.[More Details of new Chairman]
December => LDDC agrees contribution
towards the cost of extending the Gill Street Health Centre in Limehouse
- part of an LDDC programme to provide to whole of its area with new or
refurbished .primary healthcare centres.
=> The planning applications for London
Bridge City are submitted and called in for determination by the Secretary
of State. There is a public inquiry in March 1989.
=> Contracts exchanged for sixth Docklands
self build scheme.
Top of Page
1989
March =>
LDDC agrees to buy private housing development at Timber
Wharves on the Isle of Dogs as replacement housing for tenants displaced
by the Limehouse Link. Other sites at Devons Road, Bow and Roy Square,
Limehouse are acquired later.
June => Public Accounts Committee
report on UDCs recognises LDDC's achievements in restoring confidence
and attracting investment to Docklands.[Press Release about PAC Report]
August => Major increase in LDDC expenditure
on social and community, education and training and housing programmes
announced, including £20.5million for social housing at Winsor Park,
Beckton.
=> Work starts on refurbishing the
Roche Estate in Limehouse with LDDC meeting half the cost. [Press Release about scheme]
 September
=> Docklands Computer Aided Learning Project
launched for Docklands schools in Southwark and Tower Hamlets with £2.2m
allocated over two years.
October => Eastern
Gateway Access Road (Royal Docks Road) opened.
=> LDDC unveils new Social Housing
Strategy [Press Release about EGAR]
November =>Prime Minister, Margaret
Thatcher, launches work on the construction of the Limehouse
Link.
=> Docklands childcare study published. [Press Release on study]
=> Dr Penny Bevan seconded to LDDC
to work on health strategy.
December =>Contract awarded for £116m
Beckton Extension of Docklands
Light Railway. Construction starts the following month.
Top of Page
1990
February =>
New £24m Connaught
Crossing opened in the Royal Docks
March =>
LDDC sells site for large new social housing scheme at Winsor Park
April => Royal
Docks Spine Road (Royal Albert Way) opened to traffic linking Royal
Docks Road with the new Connaught Crossing.
May => Work on the widening
of North Woolwich Road completed
thus completing the strategic highways for the Royal Docks.
June =>Plans for Rosehaugh Stanhope
development on the north side of the Royal Albert Dock and Albert Basin
are hit by recession and abandoned
October => Chief Executive Michael
Honey departs [Press Release about departure]
November => Canary Wharf Eastern
Access Road (Trafalgar Way) completed
=> Canary Wharf Tower is topped out
December =>
Re housing of 500 families for the Limehouse Link completed. [Press Release]
Top of Page 
1991
January => Work starts on Bacons
City Technology College in the Surrey Docks - the new secondary school
is co-sponsored by the LDDC. LDDC sets up community legal service
=> Board decides to re-organise the
management structure of LDDC and launch a study of staff requirements
March =>
Eric Sorensen takes up his appointment as LDDC's new Chief Executive [Press Release about appointment]
May => Basic Skills Support Team launched
with LDDC funding.
=> LDDC provides funds for refurbishment
and extension of . Wapping Health Centre
July => LDDC celebrates a decade of
achievement.
=> Docklands Special Needs Training
report published
September =>
Michael Portillo opens LDDC supported Docklands ITEC computer training
facility.
=> Drive to sell remaining EZ sites
before the special arrangements come to an end
October =>
Bank Extension of the DLR (£282m) completed.
=> LDDC welcomes Government's appointment
of consultants to report on the development potential of the East Thames
Corridor
November => Control of DLR transferred
from LRT to LDDC [Press Release about transfer].
=> Planning begins for orderly withdrawal
of LDDC
December =>
Lower Lea Crossing (£43m)
completed providing a direct link between the Isle of Dogs and the Royal
Docks
Top of Page 
1992
January => Formal celebration of the
extended and refurbished health centre at Gill Street, Limehouse [More Details about celebration]
February =>
New LDDC development framework published for the Royal Docks.
=> LDDC commissions Docklands
social services review
=> First tenants move into the
Winsor Park Housing Estate, Beckton
March =>
Michael Pickard takes over as LDDC Chairman.
=> Princess Diana re-launches London
City Airport with a longer runway suitable for jet aircraft
April => The Docklands Enterprise
Zone expires.
=> LDDC takes over control of Docklands
Light Railway
May => Canary Wharf developer
is put into administration following slump in UK property market - creditor
banks take control [More Details]
June => Action plan announced for
26 historic buildings in Docklands which are at risk 
July =>
Work starts on new £11m sewer for the Isle of Dogs
October => LDDC Visitor Centre
re-launched in Limeharbour
December => Formal opening of
new community centre for Winsor Park Estate at Beckton - co-funded by
LDDC.
=> Increased security at Canary Wharf
following attempted bombing by the IRA.
Top of Page
1993
The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993
is passed to make it easier for UDCs to withdraw from their areas by stages 
January => Docklands Social Services Study published
March =>
London Borough of Tower Hamlets announces its HQ is to move to East India
Dock
May => Limehouse
Link (£292.3m), East
India Dock Link and Prestons Road Flyover (£48m) and Aspen
Way (£30m) road schemes completed.
June => LDDC abandons abortive scheme
for the Londondome Arena on the north side of the Royal Victoria
Dock and launches new plan for Exhibition Centre. [More Details about new plan]
October => Canary Wharf taken out of administration
December => The first man-made
nesting rafts are installed in the docks to attract rare species of birds
to the area.
Top of Page
1994
January => Prime Minister John
Major inaugurates work on the £2.6bn Jubilee Line Extension.
=> HRH Prince of Wales lends
support for the plan to build an urban village at West Silvetown
March =>
£258m Beckton Extension of Docklands
Light Railway completed.
=> Work starts on social housing project in the proposed urban village at West Silvertown
May =>
LDDC agrees £7.2m contribution towards the cost of Olympic standard
Rowing Course in the Royal Albert Dock 
August => Wimpey Homes chosen as developer
of Phase 1 of the urban village in West Silvertown [More Details about choice]
October =>LDDC withdraws from Bermondsey
Riverside
December => LDDC launches social care
grants scheme
Top of Page
1995
January => Work starts on North
Woolwich Pumping Station - completed early 1997.
=> LDDC chooses developer for exhibition
centre on the north side of the Royal Victoria Dock.
=> Work starts on Bow Creek Ecology
Park
[Now maintained by the Lee Valley Park - more details]
May => Island Health Centreopens
on the Isle of Dogs
August => LDDC
. sells 28 acres of land in urban village at West Silvertown to Wimpey Homes
=> Corporation allocates £2m for replacement homes to
allow demolition of the tower block at Barnwood Court as part of the village
scheme. [More details of plan]
September => LDDC endows newly established
Royal
Docks Trust (London) with £1.2m to secure the community grants
programme in Beckton into the future
October => London City Airport acquired
from John Mowlem and Co plc by Dermot Desmond, an Irish entrepreneur [More
Airport History].
=> Design
chosen for Thames
Barrier Park
December =>LDDC withdraws from Beckton.
=> Canary
Wharf acquired by the International Property Corporation Ltd consortium.
=> Government approves £7.8m
funding for the Thames
Gateway Technology Centre - part of the planned Royals university
project.
Top of Page
1996
February => IRA Bomb kills two people
and severely damages 6 buildings at South Quay as well as the DLR and
Marsh Wall.
March =>
Formal opening of new footbridge over Limekiln Dock in Limehouse - this
completes the Docklands section of the Thames Path.
=> New footbridge completed linking
Butlers Wharf with New Concordia Wharf in Bermondsey
April => LDDC grants £1.9m
towards new social homes in West Silvertown Urban Village. [More details of grant]
=> Health Secretary opens new Health
Centre at Newby Place, E14
May => Newly refurbished Health Centre at Kennard Street North Woolwich is opened
August => Norton Healthcare
announce proposed purchase of site in the Royal Docks for its European
HQ
=> Citibank announce plans to
build new UK Headquarters at Canary Wharf
September => CCTV security cordon
installed on the Isle of Dogs
October => Construction work
starts on the Lewisham Extension of the Docklands
Light Railway
=>LDDC donates to £2.248m to
the Isle of Dogs Community
Foundation for projects in Millwall Park and to help meet ongoing
community needs
=> Design chosen for footbridge across the Royal Victoria Dock. [Press release about design]
December => LDDC withdraws from the
Surrey Docks.
=> Lottery and LDDC funding secured
for International Rowing Course in the Royal Docks - work starts March
1998.
Top of Page
1997
January => LDDC withdraws from Wapping
and Limehouse
February =>
Work starts on the Thames
Barrier Park
March =>
Roger Squire and Neil Spence appointed Joint Chief Executives following departure of Eric Sorensen
to the Millennium Commission [Press Release about apoitment]
=> LDDC adds a further £1.5m
to the endowment of the Royal
Docks Trust (London) to secure an ongoing community grants programme
across the whole of the Royal Docks.
May => Footbridge opened linking South
Quay to Canary Wharf 
September => LDDC transfer Business
Park at Cody Road to London Borough of Newham - the site was acquired
in 1983 for the relocation on industrial enterprises in the docks,
October => LDDC donates to £2.248m
to the Isle of Dogs Community
Foundation for projects in Millwall Park and to help meet ongoing
community needs
=> LDDC withdraws from the Isle
of Dogs. Dock estate on Isle of Dogs transferred to British Waterways.
=> Royal Victoria Footbridge opened.
Top of Page
1998
January => New footbridge linking
St James Gardens with Limehouse, across the northern approach of
the Rotherhithe Tunnel and landing on the Western Services building of
the Limehouse Link tunnel.
=> LDDC in partnership with AVP
launches Picturebase CD for schools.
=> First tree planted in the Thames
Barrier Park 
February =>
LDDC approves application by London City Airport to double to limit on
the annual number of flights to 73,000. The application is sent
to the Government for endorsement. [Press Release about application]
March =>
Formal launch of construction work on the Docklands Campus of the University
of East London
20 March =>
Thumbs up from Local for LDDC [LDDC Press Release
about closing MORI poll]
26 March =>
An Era Ends with New Beginnings in London Docklands [Last
LDDC Press Release]
31st March =>
LDDC leaves £8m with the Royal Docks Trust (London) to secure projects
in the Royal Docks.
=> LDDC withdraws from the Royal
Docks and ceases operations
1st July =>
LDDC finally dissolved by the Urban Development Corporations in England
(Dissolution) Order 1998 (SI 1998/953)
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