Last night, Cllr Steve Niblock, who, along with his fellow ward councillor Bob Moon has supported the scheme, said he had been informed the letter had been sent to the council giving the plans permission to go forward.
Cllr Niblock said he was delighted at the speed with which the Government Office had approved the plans. He said: “The regional assembly has also been consulted and we’re waiting to hear from them, but so far almost everyone who has been told about this project has said what a great idea it is.”
Mr Granby said: “We're all ecstatic.”
He thanked the ward councillors for their support, along with the 896 people who signed a petition supporting the plans.
He said: “Now we must concentrate all of our efforts on preparing this premier venue to open as soon as possible.”
