London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The borough was formed in 1965, and took this historic name, through amalgamation of the former metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney. These boroughs were the heart of the East End of London.

Politics

Parliament

For the most recent election to Parliament, the Borough was split into two constituencies:

The Borough is a part of the London constituency for election to the European Parliament. The political history of the borough has been characterised as leaning heavily to left-wing parties, often explained by the migrant minorities that have lived within it.^{citation needed} In the main, this has meant large Labour majorities in terms of national and local elections, although other left-wing parties have won seats including Communists and more recently the Respect Unity coalition.

Greater London Assembly

The borough lies within the City and East constituency, and is represented by John Biggs, Labour.

London Borough Council

The controlling and majority group is Labour. The current composition follows the defection of five Respect councillors to Labour since the May 2006 elections, the defection of one Respect councillor to the Conservatives, the defection of one Liberal Democrat to Labour and one Labour by-election gain from the Liberal Democrats.

Details of individual ward councillors can be found at the Borough's ward pages (below)^[2].

Physical geography

The Isle of Dogs is formed from the lock entrances to the former West India Docks and the largest current meander of the River Thames and the southern part of the borough forms a part of the historic flood plain of the River Thames^[3]; and but for the Thames Barrier and other flood prevention works would be vulnerable to flooding.

The Regent's Canal enters the borough from Hackney to meet the River Thames at Limehouse Basin. A stretch of the Hertford Union Canal leads from the Regent's canal, at a basin in the north of Mile End to join the River Lee at Old Ford. A further canal, Limehouse Cut, London's oldest, leads from locks at Bromley-by-Bow to Limehouse Basin. Most of the canal tow-paths are open to both pedestrians and cyclists.

Victoria Park was formed by Act of Parliament, and administered by the LCC and its successor authority the GLC. Since the latter authority's abolition, the park has been administered by Tower Hamlets.

Areas within the borough

History

Tower Hamlets forms the main area of the East End of London, more detailed local histories should be available for each of the districts (above) within Tower Hamlets.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets forms the core of the East End, it lies east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames, use of the term "East End", in a pejorative sense began in the late 19th century,^[4] as the expansion of the population of London led to extreme overcrowding throughout the area and a concentration of poor people and immigrants in the districts that make it up.^[5] These problems were exacerbated with the construction of St Katharine Docks (1827)^[6] and the central London railway termini (1840–1875) that caused the clearance of former slums and rookeries, with many of the displaced people moving into the area. Over the course of a century, the East End became synonymous with poverty, overcrowding, disease and criminality.^[7]

The East End developed rapidly during the 19th century. Originally it was an area characterised by villages clustered around the City walls or along the main roads, surrounded by farmland, with marshes and small communities by the River, serving the needs of shipping and the Royal Navy. Until the arrival of formal docks, shipping was required to land its goods in the Pool of London, but industries related to construction, repair, and victualling of ships flourished in the area from Tudor times. The area attracted large numbers of rural people looking for employment. Successive waves of foreign immigration began with Huguenot refugees creating a new extramural suburb in Spitalfields in the 17th century.^[8] They were followed by Irish weavers,^[9] Ashkenazi Jews^[10] and, in the 20th century, Bangladeshi.^[11] Many of these immigrants worked in the clothing industry. The abundance of semi- and unskilled labour led to low wages and poor conditions throughout the East End. This brought the attentions of social reformers during the mid-18th century and led to the formation of unions and workers associations at the end of the century. The radicalism of the East End contributed to the formation of the Labour Party and demands for the enfranchisement of women.

Official attempts to address the overcrowded housing began at the beginning of the 20th century under the London County Council. World War II devastated much of the East End, with its docks, railways and industry forming a continual target, leading to dispersal of the population to new suburbs, and new housing being built in the 1950s.^[7]. During the war, in the Boroughs making up Tower Hamlets a total of 2,221 civilians were killed, and 7,472 were injured, with 46,482 houses destroyed and 47,574 damaged.^[12] The closure of the last of the East End docks in the Port of London in 1980 created further challenges and led to attempts at regeneration and the formation of the London Docklands Development Corporation. The Canary Wharf development, improved infrastructure, and the Olympic Park^[13] mean that the East End is undergoing further change, but some of its parts continue to contain some of the worst poverty in Britain.^[14]

Local landmarks

Historical landmarks

Modern landmarks

The unusual Green Bridge, constructed in 2000, links sections of Mile End Park, that are divided by the Mile End Road. The bridge contains gardens, water features and trees around the path.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, the population of the borough is approximately 196,106.

Tower Hamlets has one of the smallest indigenous populations of the boroughs of Britain. The main ethnic groups are the White British (42.9%) and Bangladeshis which constitute 33% of the population. Black African/Caribbean's constitute 7%, with a mainly large Somalian community.^[15]

The main religions followed or practiced in Tower Hamlets are Christianity and Islam. There are 75,783 people who identified themselves as Christians (38.6%), and 71,389 people who are Muslims (36.4%).^[16] The Muslim community are mainly of Bangladeshis and Somalians. The Muslim population in the borough is the largest out of all authorities in England & Wales.^[17]

The population of the Bangladeshi community counted on the census was 65,553. Bangladeshis are more likely to have large families living together. The number of Bangladeshis aged under 18 is almost double the proportion for all Londoners. Most Bangladeshi children in London were born in the UK, while most adults were born in Bangladesh, 70% of the Bangladeshi community are below the age of 30, where 40% of these are aged 0-15 and 9% are aged 16-19.^[18]

The main language of the borough is English. Other languages include, Bengali or Sylheti, and Somali, also Chinese and Vietnamese. There are also many other languages used by the people from many other different cultures.^[19]

Economic Profile

At the 2001 census, the borough had the highest rate of unemployment in Great Britain at 12.7%^{citation needed}. Part of the borough is within the boundary of the Thames Gateway development area.

Education

37,500 pupils go to 98 schools in Tower Hamlets. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is the local education authority for state schools within the borough^[20].

Further Education Colleges

Universities

Sports and Leisure

A leisure centre including a swimming pool at Mile End Stadium was completed in 2006. Other pools are located at St Georges, Limehouse and York Hall, in Bethnal Green. York Hall is also a regular venue for boxing tournaments, and in May 2007 a public spa - Spa London was opened in the building's renovated Turkish Baths. Official London Spa website

The Olympics

Tower Hamlets is one of five host boroughs for the 2012 Summer Olympics, with the Olympic Park to be constructed in the Lea Valley.

Parks in Tower Hamlets

Museums

References

^ Data Management and Analysis Group, Greater London Authority, Demography Update October 2007, (2007)
^ LBTH ward details accessed 09 Aug 2008
^ BBC on Thames floodplain accessed 31 Mar 2007
^ East End 1888 William Fishman (1998) p.1
^ From 1801 to 1821, the population of Bethnal Green more than doubled, and by 1831, it had trebled (see table in population section). These incomers were principally weavers. For further details, see Andrew August Poor Women's Lives: Gender, Work, and Poverty in Late-Victorian London pp 35-6 (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1999) ISBN 0838638074
^ By the early 19th century, over 11,000 people were crammed into insanitary slums in an area, which took its name from the former Hospital of St Catherine that had stood on the site since the 12th century.
^ ^a ^b The East End Alan Palmer, (John Murray, London 1989) ISBN 071955666X
^ Bethnal Green: Settlement and Building to 1836, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 11: Stepney, Bethnal Green (1998), pp. 91–5 Date accessed: 17 April 2007
^ Irish in Britain John A. Jackson, p. 137–9, 150 (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1964)
^ The Jews, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 1: Physique, Archaeology, Domesday, Ecclesiastical Organization, The Jews, Religious Houses, Education of Working Classes to 1870, Private Education from Sixteenth Century (1969), pp. 149–51 Date accessed: 17 April 2007
^ The Spatial Form of Bangladeshi Community in London's East End Iza Aftab (UCL) (particularly background of Bangladeshi immigration to the East End). Date accessed: 17 April 2007
^ The East End at War Rosemary Taylor and Christopher Lloyd (Sutton Publishing, 2007) ISBN 0750949139
^ Olympic Park: Legacy (London 2012) accessed 20 September 2007
^ Chris Hammett Unequal City: London in the Global Arena (2003) Routledge ISBN 0-415-31730-4
^ Tower Hamlets - Ethnic groups - 2001 Census - ONS
^ Tower Hamlets - Religions - 2001 Census - ONS
^ Muslim rank - Local Authority - 2001 census
^ [HTTP://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/data/discover/data/borough-profile/downloads/population.pdf Borough Profile - Demographic and Household Trends.]
^ [HTTP://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/data/translations/index.cfm Tower Hamlets - Translations]
^ List of Education authority schools

Contents

Geography and administration

Civic history