Gateshead International Stadium is set to undergo a multi-million pound refurbishment under new proposals given the green light by Gateshead Council.

The council's cabinet has approved plans to revamp the athletics venue in a bid to ensure its long-term future as a host major sports events, such as the British Grand Prix athletics event. Under the plans for the redevelopment of the stadium, 4,000 seats in the East Stand will be covered by a canopy for the first time since the venue opened as the Gateshead Youth Stadium in 1955.

New hospitality facilities will be created in a revamped entrance area to provide teaching space and multi-purpose rooms, while new toilets and catering facilities and media facilities are also proposed for the stadium. Funding for the scheme will be provided by Gateshead Council's capital programme, the One North East regional development agency and Gateshead College, which aims to use the new facilities to cater for its media students.

The council's cabinet member for culture, Linda Green, said: "Gateshead International Stadium is a major asset for the borough and brings fantastic facilities for local people, rising regional sports stars and world class athletes alike. "The stadium has always been a venue for a range of sports and entertainment events and I'm confident that these proposed developments will ensure that it remains a vibrant venue which can rise to the challenge of hosting a variety of new and existing events."

The announcement comes after Gateshead Football Club (GFC), which currently uses the stadium as its home ground, unveiled plans to move to a new purpose-built venue on the former site of North Durham Cricket and Rugby Club.