London Docklands (Hansard, 29 February 1984)

§ Sir George Young
I understand that there were 417 jobs in existence on land which LDDC acquired at Greenland dock in August 1981 plus 100 jobs on land in other ownerships. Of the jobs on LDDC land, 46 are with firms which have been, or have agreed to be, relocated within the LDDC area; 321 are with firms which have been, or have agreed to be, relocated outside LDDC's area—129 of these within a mile of the area. One firm with 29 employees chose not to continue in operation locally for business reasons unrelated to relocation issues. Negotiations continue with the firms providing the remaining 21 jobs.
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LDDC's plans for the site are intended to generate 1,200 jobs in industrial and commercial developments as well as providing new houses and leisure and recreational facilities.

§ Ms. Harman
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what the net financial loss is likely to be to the London Docklands Development Corporation from its acquisition and redevelopment of Greenland dock, including the costs of relocation and compensation to firms displaced.

§ Sir George Young
The project involves substantial reclamation and infrastructure works to a historic and underused area. It will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of this part of Docklands. It is intended to provide 1,300 new homes together with office, light industrial and retail development and improvement to local amenities and recreational facilities.
LDDC estimates the total cost of the project at £26.8 million and the disposal value of the prepared site at £10 million. Expenditure of this order is essential if the site is to be brought into full productive use. LDDC expects to attract more than £60 million of private sector investment and to generate 1,200 jobs.

§ Ms. Harman
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of housing to be built on London Docklands Development Corporation-owned land in Southwark will be (a) council housing, (b) housing association housing, (c) shared equity housing and (d) private housing; and how these percentages compare with those suggested by his Department to the House of Lords Select Committee into Docklands in 1981.

§ Sir George Young
The broad mix of tenure referred to speculatively by the Department's witness in evidence to the Select Committee was 50 per cent. owner occupation, 20 per cent. shared ownership and 30 per cent. housing association. The London Docklands Development Corporation proposes development amounting to 3,300 homes on land it owns in Southwark.
The eventual percentage of the different tenures cannot be estimated at this stage. The proportions will depend partly upon the attitude of Southwark council and partly upon the resources which the Housing Corporation is able to devote to the area.
Southwark council decided not to take up an arrangement previously agreed with LDDC whereby the council had the opportunity to buy 550 new homes for rent. LDDC is awaiting the council's response to its request to say which sites in LDDC ownership the council would wish to develop.
So far 140 dwellings have been completed on LDDC land in Southwark. Of these, LDDC arranged for 112 to be acquired by a housing association for rent, in the aftermath of the breakdown of the agreement mentioned above. LDDC has disposed of, or is in the process of disposing of, further sites to housing associations for about 170 dwellings for rent.