Derelict Southampton Toys R Us site plans unveiled

Offices, flats, shops and restaurants are included in the plans

Plans for a £150m redevelopment of a derelict Toys R Us site in Southampton have been unveiled by the city council.

The proposals include an office block, 275 flats, restaurants and shops at the unused site in Western Esplanade.

A new promenade linking Southampton Central train station to the West Quay shopping centre is also planned.

A full council meeting on 18 September will be asked to approve spending £27m on the new office block as part of the project's first phase.

The authority released a report which said the "strategically important" area would be developed across two or three phases.

The first phase is expected to cost £75m

The first phase - expected to cost £75m - will encompass a 70,000 sq ft office building as well as new restaurants, cafes, shops and possibly a gym or leisure attraction, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

More homes would be built as part of the second phase, the council said, before a further development containing a hotel or office space could be constructed as part of any third phase.

Council leader Christopher Hammond said the Toys R Us site, which has been empty since the business collapsed last year, would be used to improve "this important gateway into the city".

"The council will be an active partner to help provide an economic boost for the city and to create new skilled jobs for our citizens," he added.

The new office block would incorporate a business lounge off the reception area