Whitley Bay £36m regeneration scheme approved

Whitley Bay's Spanish City, with its distinctive white dome, will be regenerated

A plan to spend £36m revamping a coastal town and its landmarks has been approved.

North Tyneside Council has given the green light to the revival of Whitley Bay which will include work on the Spanish City dome which shut in 2000.

The masterplan will include a £1m visitor centre at St Mary's headland, new shops and cafes, as well as a new sea wall.

Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn welcomed the decision.

"We will get on and deliver this project just as the majority of people want us to do and will deliver a coastline that we can all be very proud of," she said.

An artist's impression of the planned St Mary's Island Cafe