A new cruise liner terminal that will bring thousands of tourists to the capital every year was given the green light by the Mayor of London’s Office today (25 August).
Up to 55 cruise ships a year are expected to dock at the new terminal at Enderby Wharf in Greenwich as part of a scheme that will create up to 500 new jobs and also includes 477 new homes, a skills academy, restaurants, cafes and bars.
The new terminal is expected to be up and running by 2017. It will help London become a marquee destination for cruise ships and will allow London to become the starting and finishing point for worldwide cruises for the first time.
Planning permission was originally granted in 2012 for a passenger terminal on the Enderby Wharf site, however new European legislation that came into force earlier this year required cruise operators to stay for longer in London with vessels starting and ending trips in the capital.
Last month Greenwich council approved revised plans for the new terminal and today the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Sir Edward Lister, also gave the application the go ahead.
London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Sir Edward Lister, said: “We have worked with the local authority and the developer to ensure the new terminal and surrounding infrastructure will meet the needs of thousands of tourists coming to the city each year.
“It will provide a major boost to tourism, benefit the local economy and further contribute to London’s status as a world leading city.”
All ships using the Enderby Wharf terminal must comply with international, national and local emissions legislation, which requires vessels to burn less than 0.1 per cent sulphur emissions. EU regulations mean all cruise liners must swap fuels when they reach regulated waters, which requires them to burn low sulphur on their approach to London and while in port, resulting in a 97 per cent reduction in diesel emissions.
The Mayor’s office also asked an independent air quality consultancy, Amec, to study the impact of emissions. While it recognised there could be some moderate adverse impact on occasion, it also acknowledged the height, speed and heat of ship emissions disperse more efficiently in comparison to motor vehicles. Recognising the levels of background pollution already experienced in the borough, £400,000 has been secured towards ongoing environmental monitoring or improving air quality through the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Air Quality Action Plan.
A low emissions transport scheme has also been secured to minimise construction and operational traffic.
The terminal in Greenwich will accommodate medium-sized cruise liners up to 820ft long and is expected to attract tourists from around the world, especially North America and Europe.
Notes to editors
-The Enderby Wharf site was granted planning permission in 2012 for a cruise liner terminal, a 251-bed hotel and a skills academy. In January 2015, new EU legislation resulted in cruise operators wishing to stay longer in London and starting and ending their cruises in the capital. Increased capacity at the terminal was therefore required and a revised application submitted.
- CGIs are available upon request.
- The stage II report will be available on the GLA website later today.