[1] During its seventeen-year existence, it was responsible for regenerating an area of 22 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi) in the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark.

[6] Between 1961 and 1971, almost 83,000 jobs were lost in the five boroughs in the Docklands area (Greenwich, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark).

[8] The London Docklands Development Corporation was established by the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, under section 135 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.

[9] The corporation acted as a catalyst benefiting from the full range of planning authority powers (principally those of development control).

"[11] Billingsgate Market had relocated from the City to Docklands in 1982,[12] and this was thought to be typical of the type of industry which might be accommodated.

However, Docklands was close to the City of London and this made it an attractive secondary office location as well as a possible site for riverside residential development to accommodate the phenomenon of yuppies, the young high-income single-person households created by new jobs in the financial services industry.

[14] When American/Swiss banker Michael von Clemm visited West India Docks looking for a restaurant site, he became interested in the idea of building a back office.

[17] The LDDC tapped into the boom in air travel by creating a small business airport making use of the vast open spaces of the Royal Docks.

On many of the developments, local council tenants were given first opportunities to buy at discounted prices, but this led to a number of abuses.