An Area in Decline
By the late 1970’s the dock complex that the Vauxhall area so heavily relied upon for work and employment opportunities was beginning to decline, as changes to the global economy meant that less and less material was being transported to or from the western side of the UK. Factory closures followed from this decline in trade, resulting in high levels of unemployment, with whole families thrown out of work by the loss of a single large-scale employer. In turn, the area started to depopulate, as people sought work elsewhere. The social consequences were to manifest themselves in poor housing conditions, a poor urban environment and a lack of local facilities.
