North Woolwich is part of the Royal Docks but is physically isolated by virtue of its physical geography and for many years was subject to neglect by planners and politicians alike . It has a large concentration of social housing and has been home to a large , and increasingly ethnically diverse working class community. East Europeans are the latest immigrants to an area which . Until very recently the area was relatively untouched by the gentrification of the Docklands. A proposed Thames Gateway bridge, designed to replace the ferry, linking the North Woolwich with the south bank was vigorously opposed by local people on the grounds that it would increase road traffic while doing nothing to improve the area’s economic prospects. The original plan for the Bridge was scrapped after numerous objections to a public enquiry in 2007, but now (2013) there is a move to reinstate it. In this video , made in 2007, young people for then area voices their hopes and fears for the future of the area , and consider the likely impact of regeneration.
For further information about the Royal Docks download the oral history trails at: www.portsofcall.org.uk
