A VISION to transform a derelict area of Middlesbrough into a £17m new media quarter could move a step closer if plans to build a block of innovative apartments are approved.

Following the success of Newcastle's creative cluster on Pink Lane comes Boro's answer to London's Soho, the Boho zone.

Boho One, the flagship 3,200 square metre digital city building is already under construction in the St Hildas area of the town centre, once a notorious red light district.

The application, which comes before Middlesbrough Councils planning and development control committee tomorrow is for Boho Two, consisting of 20 live/work units aimed at tenants working within the digital or media industry.

The planning report states: "In many cases live/work accommodation creates employment that would not be possible or sustainable otherwise by providing affordable, flexible premises for small and medium enterprises and start-ups.

"Raising children while in employment is another such example.

"The provision of dedicated spaces within the house enables parents to find suitable working hours."

The application, from Erimus, the largest social housing provider in Middlesbrough, would produce a creative cluster situated between the town centre and the Middlehaven regeneration project near the Riverside Stadium.