Together the Brookfield Riverside and wider Garden Village development in Cheshunt will create a new town centre for Broxbourne Borough, which is promoting the development with Hertfordshire County Council.
Construction work is expected to start next year on the scheme, which will include up to 315,000 sq ft of retail, 250,000 sq ft of leisure, restaurants and a cinema.
The plans also include 160,000 sq ft of offices including a new civic hub, 250 homes and 100 assisted living units, a 2,000-space car park and major public realm improvements.
It will sustain 2,000 jobs during construction.
The planned major new retail and leisure development just outside the M25 will anchor a bigger garden village.
This will provide 1,250 new homes, a three-form entry primary school and a ‘blue light’ hub for police, fire and ambulance services.
A new link road will also be built to connect Brookfield Riverside to the A10 Turnford Interchange and the Garden Village.
Councillor Lewis Cocking, Leader of Borough of Broxbourne said: “I am delighted that the Brookfield Riverside and Garden Village developments have been given planning approval after several decades of planning.
“This is testament to the hard work of all those involved in shaping the proposals to maximise the social and economic benefits to those that live in the Borough.”
Ralph Jones, managing director of Peveril Securities said: “We are delighted to be associated with this development which is in a unique location on the edge of London and we very much look forward to bringing it to fruition.