Tower Hamlets Borough Council gave Berkeley’s St George’s arm permission to redevelop the 15-acre site in Wapping with a mix of buildings, including shops, offices and leisure facilities.

St George was last year forced to redraw proposals for the site now known as the London Dock site after the local council recommended it include plans for a secondary school.

The development plan, which also includes over 200,000 sq ft of commercial space, will be delivered through a series of buildings ranging from 5 to 25 storeys in height.

The Grade II listed Pennington Street Warehouse will be at the heart of the development and will be bought back to life with a mix of  cafes, restaurants and small offices.

Ross Faragher, Managing Director of St George, said: “We are delighted that Tower Hamlets Council has resolved to grant consent for this exceptional development. In providing high quality homes, new commercial space and land for a new secondary school all set in a beautifully landscaped site we will create a fantastic place for a new vibrant community to thrive.”

Work on phase one of the development, which will include 70 affordable homes in Times House, and a new civic square is due to commence in spring 2014.

Berkeley bought the site from the media giant in May last year for £150m.

News International previously used a complex, dubbed Fortress Wapping after battles with print unions, to produce the Sun, Times and the News of the World.