View report page

1. STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA
The Borough of Tower Hamlets is bounded on the west side by the City of London, on the east
by the Borough of Newham, on the north by the Borough of Hackney and on the south by the River
Thames The river boundary is some seven miles in length along which exist numerous wharves
engaged in trans-shipping activities. The area of the borough is 4,876 acres , being approximately
four miles long, and four miles wide at the most distant points- Mileage of roads covered is
178.5. Some 266 acres cover canals and enclos ed docks including St„ Katharine's and London Docks5
East and West India Docks, and the Millwall Docks The St Katharine's Dock covering 10 acres of
water, has ceased being used as for dock purposes and has been purchased by the Greater London
Council, together with adjacent land, for redevelopment in conjunction with this Council.
The Ste Katharine Docks scheme has been hailed as London's most ambitious redevelopment
since the Great Fire, Work is scheduled to begin in 1971 on a 614 year target programme, as follows:-
Left in the photograph opposite is the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Beyond the Bridge
rises London's largest convention hotel with 776 rooms and convention hall for over 2,000 delegates.
To the left, along the approach road to London Bridge is the Hardwick Warehouse built in 1829 which
is to be incorporated in the scheme0I t wi 11 be refurnished and become the Br i tish Export Centre, offering
economic London representation to provincial companies, and be let with the International
World Trade Centre communications networks Facing it across the inner basin is another warehouse
built in I860, This will be converted into housing and a yacht club* War-damaged buildings beyond
repair have been demolished by,the Greater London Council. The other darker buildings to the left
are outside the scheme.
The redevelopment area covers 24.4 acres of which 10.4 are water. Development will give
London its first yacht marina, and the Chapel of St. Katharine to be built on the jetty behind
the hotel, will link the site with the original hospice of St. Katharine, established by Queen
Matilda in 1148c The Queen Mother is the Patron of the Royal Foundation of St; Katharinec
Down river beyond the hotel wi11 be Theatrevision, avast entertainment complex with theatres,
sound and television studios, linked to a floating bar and restaurant in the river
Further to the right are new facilities for both private and local authority housing,
complete with schools and playgrounds, adjoining asports centre with squash courts, swimming
pool and gymnasium,. The housing continues around the farthest basin and at top left is a shopping
centre.
To-day the population is nil. When the St. Katharine Docks Scheme(£22 million) is completed,
there will be 700 houses and three school s with a resident population of over 2,000. When al 1 the other
facilities are in use the population will be as much as 10,000.
The predominant geological stratum of the Borough is dark blue London Clay found at a depth
of between 20-30 feet from the surface; above this level are layers and patches of gravel and sand
with brown and yellow clays found nearer the surface, In some parts of the borough there are
layers of 'made' ground, the result of earlier habitation, and as is to be expected the flow of
subsoil water is towards the river,
- 9 -