A new £4.9m youth facility is to be developed in Newcastle after the project was approved by the local authority.

Planning permission for the Myplace facility was granted by Newcastle City Council (NCC), which also agreed to make a final application for Listed Building Consent. Funding has been secured from the Department of Education, despite a delay caused by the government's Comprehensive Spending Review.

Heritage assets of the derelict St Thomas' School and nearby City Pool will be brought back into use by the project, which will also include a performance area and a café. NCC executive member for culture, leisure and customer service Pauline Allen said: "One of the first things to do will be to establish a timescale for building works and the closure of the small pool.

"A schedule of community use for the University of Northumbria's Sport Central pool has already been agreed to increase range of swimming available in the city."