Editing Poplar, London (section)

===Social and economic history===
In 1654, as the population of the district began to grow, the [[East India Company]] ceded a piece of land upon which to build a chapel and this became the nucleus of the settlement.<ref>{{cite book|title=The history and survey of London and its environs|author=Bernard Lambert|year=1806|location=London|oclc=647659045|page=134|volume=4}}</ref>
[[St Matthias Old Church]] is located on Poplar High Street, opposite [[Tower Hamlets College]].

There was a major ship fitting industry from at least the 15th century, and the maritime trades became more important after the [[East India Docks|East]] and [[West India Docks]] were opened in 1806.<ref name=EB1911/> Thames Ironworks at [[Leamouth|Leamouth Wharf]] was a major employer till its closure in 1912, its works team becoming known as [[West Ham United F.C.]] The docks attracted very heavy bombing to the area during the [[The Blitz|Blitz]].

In 1921, the [[Metropolitan Borough of Poplar]] was the location of the [[Poplar Rates Rebellion]], led by then-Mayor [[George Lansbury]], who was later elected as leader of the Labour Party. As part of the 1951 [[Festival of Britain]], a new council housing estate was built to the north of the [[A13 road (Great Britain)|East India Dock Road]] and named the [[Lansbury Estate]] after him. This estate includes [[Chrisp Street Market]], which was greatly commended by [[Lewis Mumford]]. The same era also saw the construction of the [[Robin Hood Gardens]] housing complex (overlooking the northern portal of the [[Blackwall Tunnel]]) – designed by [[architect]]s [[Peter and Alison Smithson]] – and the similarly [[brutalist]] [[Balfron Tower]], [[Carradale House]] and [[Glenkerry House]] (to the north) – designed by [[Ernő Goldfinger]]. Other notable buildings in Poplar include [[Poplar Baths]] which closed in 1989 and reopened in 2016 after the efforts of local campaigners.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brooke|first=Mike|title=Poplar Baths makes a splash reopening after 30 years—in good spirits|url=https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/politics/poplar-baths-makes-a-splash-reopening-after-30-years-in-good-spirits-1-4632501|access-date=2020-11-12|website=East London Advertiser|date=26 July 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

The importance of the maritime industries attracted many overseas migrant to the area, including the Chinese community in the ''Pennyfields'' area of Poplar. This area, on the border with [[Limehouse]] was a part of the old East End ''Chinatown'', most closely associated with Limehouse.<ref>'Pennyfields', in Survey of London: Volumes 43 and 44, Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs, ed. Hermione Hobhouse (London, 1994), pp. 111–113. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols43-4/pp111-113 [accessed 11 December 2021].</ref>

The [[West India Dock]] and other local docks had all closed by the end of 1980, so the British Government adopted policies to redevelop the docklands areas, including the creation of the [[London Docklands Development Corporation]] (LDDC) in 1981 and the granting of [[Urban Enterprise Zone]] status to the Isle of Dogs in 1982.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols43-4/pp702-707#h3-0003|title=Modern Docklands: Modern commercial developments {{!}} British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk|access-date=2019-10-05}}</ref>

In 1998, following ballots of the residents, Tower Hamlets Council transferred parts of the Lansbury estate and six other Council housing estates within Poplar to [[Poplar HARCA]], a new [[housing association]] set up for the purpose of regenerating the area. The following year, tenants on further estates voted to remain with the council. However, after a lengthy consultation of all Council estates in Tower Hamlets begun in 2002, most estates in Poplar did transfer to Poplar HARCA, East End Homes and other landlords between 2005 and 2007.