Campaigners against the ‘toxic’ cruise port in Greenwich have delivered their 7,000 strong petition to the new council.

No Toxic Cruise Port for London lined the steps to the town hall on Wednesday night (June 27) to lobby the council to “do the right thing” over the controversial cruise liner terminal at Enderby Wharf.

The port will allow ships to dock there generating their own power, instead of hooking up to on shore power. Campaigners say liners emit the same amount of pollution as 688 lorries.

The scheme has rumbled on for years, and a previous campaign by residents on both sides of the Thames went all the way to the high court.

The council’s decision to approve planning permission was cleared with a judge saying it would boost tourism for Greenwich.

After delivering the petition, campaign organiser Laura Eyres addressed the chamber, saying: “The strength of the community’s feeling on this from Greenwich, the Isle of dogs and across London is reflected in the 7,000 signatures which we have just submitted to you.

“Cruise liner fuel, although classified as low sulphur, is still 100 times dirtier than road fuel

“With up to 55 cruise visits planned staying for an average of 3 days each time, we are looking at ships burning fuel every day of the summer in Greenwich – releasing sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter into our homes and schools.

“Our community has had to live with the prospect of pollution from the cruise terminal hanging over us for the past three years. We are living in uncertainty and would ask for some clarity – and to galvanise the will of the community and the good people in this council chamber.”

American bank Morgan Stanley has put the port up for sale, and housing developer Barratt Homes has reportedly withdrawn from the proposals, which included 477 homes, restaurants and shops.

It’s estimated that once the terminal is built, it will generate about £25m a year.

The campaigners called on the council to set up a working group to find a solution for Enderby Wharf, and to make a commitment to working with developers for on shore power.

Leader Danny Thorpe previously broke his silence on the port, saying he wanted to see the whole river cleaned up.

He said at a Full Council meeting: “People will be aware of comments I have made and clearly we are in discussions with the developer about the planning permission that they hold. The conversations are at an early stage and there is some work to be done to work through what is possible.

“I will point out it is not just about Enderby Wharf as far as we are concerned, there are far wider issues about how the river is regulated in terms of emissions.”

The leader said he has spoken to Mayor Sadiq Khan about how the river is regulated, and to the Port of London Authority about joining a air quality working group.

He added: “I expect to be able to bring more information back shortly, but I need a bit of time to be able to make more progress. Until we have identified the key issues we need to crack, there wouldn’t be much point in meeting  – but when the time is right I am happy to do that.”