Communities secretary Eric Pickles has approved developer Peel Holdings' plans for the £4.5bn transformation of Wallasey and Birkenhead Docks.

Wirral Waters is one of the largest planning applications in the UK and was given the go ahead by Wirral Council in August, but had to go before the government. However, Pickles' decision to opt against calling in the scheme for further review means that a public inquiry will not be required to determine its fate.

Encompassing 18 million sq ft (1.7 million sq m) of land alongside the River Mersey, the plans include a range of restaurants, cafés, bars, a hotel and cultural attractions. Glenn Howells Architects; BroadwayMalyan; Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; Allford Hall Monaghan Morris; and HKR are among the firms to be involved with the design phase.

Wirral Council leader Jeff Green said: "I am delighted the government has demonstrated its trust in allowing local people to make the decision. "This is a £4.5bn project which will create many thousands of jobs over 10-15 years. It is a landmark day for Wirral."