Hull City Council has granted Apollo Resorts & Leisure a provisional 'large casino' licence for Manor Property Group's £100m mixed-use Manor Mill scheme on the city's former Clarence Flour Mills site.

The decision is one of the first such licences to be granted in the UK, following the introduction of the previous government's new gambling legislation in 2005. Apollo is believed to be the only casino operator to have applied for the licence. Mike Nuttall, managing director of Apollo Resorts and Leisure said: "Apollo is pleased to have been awarded the provisional statement and is committed to delivering Manor Mill resort as a major new leisure and entertainment destination."

The 480,000sq ft (44,593sq m) Manor Mill project received planning permission in November 2008 and - in addition to the casino - incorporates a 23-storey residential tower, Hull's tallest; a 185-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel; a student accommodation building; a public plaza, beneath which the £25m casino is to be built; four restaurants; a sports bar and retail space. Work on the scheme, on the east bank of the River Hull adjacent to Drypool Bridge, is expected to begin later this year.