Greenwich, a borough close to central London, will be hosting a large cruise liner terminal, once the authorities grant approval for the development.
The cruise liner terminal will have the capacity to allow anchoring of large cruise ships beyond the Thames Barrier. The new dockyard will be able to offer anchorage to ships up to 240 metres in length and receive around 100 ships every year, once it is completed.
Construction of the project is expected to commence by November 2012, and be complete in around five years’ time. Approximately 40,000 passengers will be able to disembark at the terminal, once it is operational.
Greenwich Council, the local administrative body, is also planning to offer approval for the development of a mixed-use property, Enderby Wharf, which will include a 251-room hotel and around 770 homes close to the dockyard, to be developed by a UK-based developer, West Properties.
John Comber of Greenwich Council said in a newspaper interview, ‘This brings the cruise liner industry right into the heart of the capital. It will be the gateway to London. In years gone by this river would have been teeming with vehicles. What we’d like to see is that brought back.’
Earlier, Councillor Chris Roberts, from the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said, ‘Tourism already brings in £774 million per year to our local economy and this (the new terminal) will clearly be a massive boost for an already thriving local industry. We’re hugely proud of the rich mix of attractions, culture and history we have at the World Heritage site and beyond in Greenwich – and of course of our proud maritime history. The coming of London’s first cruise terminal at Enderby Wharf with the investment by Morgan Stanley will be a big landmark in that history and a superb addition to all we have to offer here in Royal Greenwich.’
