Developers hope to begin work on the site early next year

P&O Developments wants to build a �170m shopping centre at Plymouth's Drake Circus made up of 45 new shops, cafes and restaurants.

The city council has now agreed the design and appearance of the complex, leaving just a few outstanding matters to be resolved.

Developers are hoping to begin work on transforming the site early next year.

Open in 2006

"We are delighted to have successfully overcome our last major planning hurdle," said Gary Brooks, director of P&O Developments.

"The people of Plymouth have played a major part in this step forward by voicing their overwhelming backing for Drake Circus."

The detailed designs were unveiled at a public exhibition of the proposals at Plymouth's Theatre Royal last month.

P&O will now commence negotiating the outstanding Compulsory Purchase Order matters, due to be the subject of a decision by the Government Office for the South West later this year.

The Drake Circus scheme, which was supposed to have happened in the late 1980s, will give the city a large covered shopping mall linking to its retail centre for the first time.

P&O Developments described it as the biggest retail development in the South West since Plymouth was rebuilt after the war.

It is hoped work will start to replace the existing 1970s shopping centre and car park on the site early next year.

The aim is that the development will be open for business in late 2006.