London’s first cruise ship terminal to open in Greenwich in 2017

Mayor Boris Johnson approved plans for Thames terminal at Greenwich
Enderby Wharf in SE10 will soon allow mid-size commercial ships to dock
Borough cabinet members hope that it will offer a massive tourism boost

Katie Amey for MailOnline

Published:
09:14 EST, 27 August 2015

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Updated:
12:08 EST, 27 August 2015

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London has been given the green light for its first dedicated passenger cruise terminal – though some may be surprised to learn that it didn’t have one already.

Mayor Boris Johnson and the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Planning Board have approved plans for the terminal to be built at Enderby Wharf.

It will allow for mid-size commercial ships to dock.

A rendering of the London City Cruise Port shows just how large the ships are that it will be able to accommodate

Located along the Thames at Greenwich, in SE10, the terminal will soon be able to accommodate any boat that measures up to 230m (750ft) in length, with a maximum passenger capacity of 1,600.

Ships of this size include some Thomson Cruises and Holland America Line boats, such as Ryndam and Veendam, but the terminal would not be able to fit a mega-ship, such as Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, for example.

With the Mayor’s support, it’s expected to be in operation by 2017.

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However, residents of in-development Enderby Wharf aren’t quite so excited about the news for fear that it will increase noise pollution and air particulate.

In response, Cllr Danny Thorpe, the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said that the Mayor had ‘submitted its measures to independent scrutiny and found them to be satisfactory,’ according to The Telegraph.

There terminal will be housed as part of the Wharf’s largest development project, as seen here

Mayor Boris Johnson has approved plans for London’s first dedicated passenger cruise ship terminal – to be developed at Enderby Wharf (pictured)

Cabinet members hope that the new passenger terminal will offer the entire borough of Greenwich a tourism boost

Cllr Thorpe also said that this terminal will undoubtedly offer a major boost to tourism.

‘This is an important step forward, not just for Greenwich, but for the capital,’ he said. ‘This landmark development will bring thousands more visitors to the borough.’

While some cruise ships do already set sail from London’s Tower Bridge Terminal, via Greenwich, to European destinations, these are mostly small ships and the terminal is not dedicated to passenger use.

The terminal in Greenwich, however, is expected to accommodate 55 cruise ships annually.