Newcastle council planners have given the go ahead for a 246-bed student accommodation development in the city centre.

Situated on St James' Boulevard, the new student development will replace a group of single and two storey buildings currently located on the site.

Designed by tp bennett, the accommodation will consist of a mix of studios and apartments arranged in clusters of three, five and six bedrooms.

The plans also include a number of open space areas, along with hard and soft landscaped public realms located along the St James' Boulevard frontage. Students will also have access to amenities such as a gym, cinema room, study room and laundry facilities.

The student development forms part of the Science Central masterplan, a 24-acre prime city-centre development in Newcastle upon Tyne, designed to support a thriving community as well jobs and ground-breaking scientific research.

Nenad Manasijevic, principle director for tp bennett and the project lead said: "The new development meets the need for quality, contemporary living accommodation for students and will allow Newcastle to compete with other major university cities across the UK. It is a critical piece of the Science Central masterplan."