Three thousand new homes will be created on the site of the old Millennium Mills after planning permission for the development was approved last night.

Newham Recorder: Artist's impression of how the area will look once the development is completedArtist's impression of how the area will look once the development is completed (Image: Chris Brown)

Newham Council has given the nod for construction work to begin on the 62-acre Silvertown site, which will also feature two million square foot of office space and three million sq ft of brand experience space.

When complete, the area will also include a new school, a health centre, restaurants and shops.

It will be delivered by the Silvertown Partnership consortium, and chief executive Simon Webster said he was “delighted to receive the go-ahead”.

He added: “This part of London is now destined to be a creative hub for our Capital, offering a new, easily accessible location for innovative businesses, as well as housing for Londoners and amazing new brand experiences to attract visitors from the UK and abroad.

“It is a much-needed scheme for this part of London, creating opportunities for new employment and long term benefits for the local economy.”

The first phase of the development is expected to be finished by 2018, in time for Crossrail’s arrival at the nearby Custom House station.

It will see the former flour mill brought back to life with businesses occupying 450,000 sq ft of floor space.

The Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: “This scheme builds on our commitment to further enhancing the quality of life for our residents and the opportunities available to them through developing the arc of opportunity spanning the Royal Docks, Stratford and Canning Town.”

Work to remove asbestos from Millennium Mills began earlier this year following a £12million grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government.