A COUNCIL has scored a goal with a football club.

News that Middlesbrough Borough's Cabinet has agreed in principle to back the £59m Middlehaven development, is music to the ears of the Boro.

For six years, embarrassed bosses of Middlesbrough Football Club have been apologising to visitors to the Riverside Stadium for the industrial wilderness surrounding it.

Boro spokesman Dave Allan said: "When we first moved to the stadium promises were made to the club; that our new stadium would be the centre of a major and very exciting development.

"For one reason and another although we fulfilled our part of the bargain, the rest of Middlehaven could not be developed. We find ourselves, six years on in the middle of a wasteland," he said.

The cabinet not only backed the plan in principle this week, but earmarked £9m for it over the next ten to 12 years.

Mr Allan said: "This is obviously good news and we welcome any progress on the Middlehaven site.

"We fully support and have faith in what is planned. Jobs and investment are very important to the area."

Housing, offices and shops, additional links to the town centre and a major visitor attraction are planned for the area.