PLANNING permission has been granted to build 370 homes in a coastal town.

A library and youth and community centre will also be built, together with a pub, supermarket, four shops and a dentists' surgery at the site in the Courts area of Redcar, east Cleveland.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee unanimously passed an application for the development yesterday.

Last year, 214 flats and maisonettes in the 1960s Courts estate were demolished and Roseberry Square shopping centre will also be destroyed.

Former mayor, Councillor Vilma Collins, a member of the Youth and Community Centre's Management Committee on the estate, said: "I'm absolutely delighted. When I was mayor I began the demolition of the flats and nothing gave me greater pleasure than to destroy those monstrosities. They have caused nothing but trouble."

Planning committee chairman Councillor Peter Spencer added: "I look forward to seeing this marvellous development. I witnessed it being built originally and then looking terrible after three of four years. Anything will be a massive improvement."

Work is expected to start on the new development early next year.

It will include 270 homes for sale built by Persimmon Homes and Bellway.

Housing Association Tees Valley will develop the remaining 100 houses.

Some residents were worried about the loss of open space, which they said would leave nowhere for children to play, and there were also concerns about the siting of Housing Association properties near to existing residents' properties.