<P> London Docklands is the name for the riverfront and former docks in London, the capital of the United Kingdom . Situated in east and southeast London, it forms part of the boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Newham and Greenwich . The docks were formerly part of the Port of London, at one time the world's largest port . Following the closure of the docks, the area became derelict and poverty - ridden by the 1980s . The Docklands' regeneration began later that decade; it has now been redeveloped principally for commercial and residential use . The name London Docklands was used for the first time in a government report on redevelopment plans in 1971, and has since become virtually universally adopted . The redevelopment created wealth, but also led to conflict between the new and old communities in the areas thus designated . </P> <P> In Roman and medieval times, ships arriving in the River Thames tended to dock at small quays in the present - day City of London or Southwark, an area known as the Pool of London . However, these gave no protection against the elements, were vulnerable to thieves and suffered from a lack of space at the quayside . The Howland Great Dock in Rotherhithe (built in 1696, and later to form the core of the Surrey Commercial Docks) was designed to address these problems, providing a large, secure and sheltered anchorage with room for 120 large vessels . It was a major commercial success, and provided for two phases of expansion during the Georgian and Victorian eras . </P>

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