The announcement from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, follows his decision to call in the planning application by developers Braeburn Estates in September 2013.

Braeburn Estates is a joint venture between Canary Wharf Group and Qatari Diar for the 1.45m sq ft mixed use scheme, comprising offices, residential and retail which has been master planned by Squire and Partners.

Phased construction of the massive South Bank development in London is now due to commence in late summer.

Qatari Diar Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Khaled Al Sayed, said: “Our priority is to get this construction project moving, so that businesses, residents and visitors to the local area start to reap the benefits of this fantastic scheme as soon as possible.”

The 27-storey Shell Centre Tower will remain the centrepiece of the new site, and will continue to be owned and occupied by Shell.

It will be complemented by eight new buildings, one of which will incorporate a further 245,000 sq ft of new offices and trading floors for Shell, enabling all of their 4,000 London-based staff to be located together on the South Bank for the first time.

Around 800,000 sq ft of office space, including the Shell Centre Tower, along with around 80,000 sq ft new retail units, restaurants and cafés, will be accompanied by up to 877 new homes.

The construction, which will run over a six-year period, will employ an average of 700 workers on-site rising to 1,630 at the peak of construction.