Up to 55 cruise ships a year are expected to dock at the new terminal at Enderby Wharf in Greenwich which also will see 477 new homes, a skills academy, restaurants, cafes and bars built as part of the scheme.

The scheme is being backed by Barratt which will deliver the homes in three high-rise housing blocks and investment bank Morgan Stanley.

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.

Last month Greenwich council approved revised plans for the new terminal and now the deputy mayor for planning, Sir Edward Lister, has given the green light.

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.”

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.