GEOGRAPHY: Isles of Dogs lies immediately to the West of the Greenwich meridian in the heart of London’s Docklands-on the River Thames. The area delineated as the project site is a peninsula of approximately one and one half square miles on the North bank of the River Thames. Bounded on three sides by the river–Blackwall Reach to the East, Greenwich Reach to the South and Limehouse Reach to the West–and by the West India Dock railway to the North
POPULATION: 13,000 inhabitants live in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Millwall Ward and the Blackwall area of Poplar South Ward.
Community organizations include old age pensioners’ clubs, residents’ associations, youth clubs, a rowing club, library, public baths, bowling club, barge clubs, dart clubs in the Island’s 20 pubs, football and other sports teams. Five primary schools and three listed play groups are located on the Island. George Green’s School, recently opened at the south of the Island on Manchester Road, is the first purpose-built neighbourhood school and community centre in the Inner London Education Authority area. Prior to the opening of the school in January, 1976, secondary children had to leave the Island for their education. Until the new building is in full use most pupils over 12 years of age will continue to commute.
The Isle of Dogs, whose population’s average age is younger than that of Greater London, is the only area in Inner London with an increasing population. Since the war, more Greater London Council (GLC) housing has been built here than in the other boroughs. Eighty-six and one half per cent of the homes on the Island are leased from the Borough of Tower Hamlets Or the Greater London Council. Island health facilities include two doctors’ surgeries, a child welfare clinic and a dental surgery.
The nearest hospital is located about two miles off the Island. Island residents are served by London Transport buses 277 and 277A. One of every three households in the Island has a car. Diversified industry on the Island includes Associated Lead Works, a Tate and Lyle sugar refinery, McDougall’s Flour Mill, large timber merchants and several road haulage, stockholding and ship repair companies.
The active centre of the Island is an enclosed Dock area containing the West India and Millwall Docks. Economically active males compose 29 per cent of the Island’s population. In 1971 over six per cent of these males were unemployed. Four per cent of the Island’s economically active females were unemployed during the same year. By 1976 unemployment had risen to 14 per cent for men and 25 per cent for economically active women, with several major industries due to close shortly.
CHALLENGES: Focus was to accelerate commercial development, provide training, and develop relationship networks across the island and with Greater London.
The Island was once the heartbeat of British trade as every ship entering or leaving London had to sail from or around the Isle of Dogs. Since then the people have sensed themselves as intimately related to the whole world. For many years the dockworking community of the Island was renowned for its solidarity and mutual support.
With the closure of the docks, the people of the Island not only lost a key source of sustenance but were also finding themselves cut off from their wider contacts. Fueled by a strong sense of identity, unions, employers and the government are working in cooperation.
HISTORY: Its strange and memorable name reflects the fact that both as a geographical and a social entity, it has always commanded recognition. The Island came into existence in 1342 during the reign of Edward II when the area was drained and embanked. Its tranquil, rural atmosphere was transformed into an industrial site with the opening of the West India Docks in 1802.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
42 new businesses have filled previously empty buildings and some existing industries have expanded to provide new job opportunities.
The Mudchute, formerly a large waste area in the centre of the community, is now the site of an urban farm and individual gardens and provides a site for community celebrations and recreation.
A network of tenants associations has spread across the Isle and a large number of commercial, industrial, social and domestic buildings have been newly built or modernized and renovated.
Festive community events are now organized by local groups and the Isle is alive with new mini-parks, well-maintained parks and gardens and 40 murals decorate formerly dreary wall spaces.
A multi-purpose educational and social service center opened in 1976 now serves 900 pre-school children, teenagers, and community elders.
Opportunities for youth activities have increased in the form of new football clubs, and girl bands, one of which has recently received national recognition.
