The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DOCKLANDS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
D
O
C
K
L
A
N
D
S
More clues leading to the result DOCKLANDS
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DOCKLANDS mean?
DOCKLANDS noun- An area of a town or city which contains, or used to contain, an industrial port.