I've lived on my boats up Deptford Creek in S.E. London for nearly 26 years now and for the past 15 of those have been involved in the fight to save the old Deptford Dockyard from the clutches of Rupert Murdoch who, having failed thus far to cover it in inordinate amounts of luxury housing has now gone into partnership with Mr Li Ka Ching of Huchison Whampoa.
Basically this is the site of the oldest Royal Dockyard, founded by Henry VIII though it's history goes back to the Romans. Some really major features such as the Great Double Dry Dock and the Grand Basin lie under a thin screed of concrete.
The circumstances of the present ownership of the site are dubious, to say the least, but the power of these owners renders councils and politicians useless.
We locals have a blog-site www.deptfordis.org.uk which will tell you more, that also shows alternative proposals and has a petition that urgently needs signing.
If you're interested in detailed history of the site then shipwrightspalace.blogspot.org is the place to go.
Many Thanks,
Julian Kingston.