Westgate House, right, is to be demolished

On Friday, Newcastle City Council's development control committee said it was minded to approve the plan for Westgate House and Norwich Union House.

On Monday, after no objections were received, the demolition of the two buildings in Westgate Road, in Newcastle city centre, was approved.

The buildings' owners say no firm date for the demolition work has been set yet and negotiations are going on.

Mixed-use development

Both buildings have been empty for years and their owners want to demolish them to make way for shops and flats.

Westgate House was built in the 1960s and is a former office block. It lies diagonally opposite Newcastle Central Station and straddles Westgate Road. Norwich Union House is next to it.

Westgate House is owned by regional development agency One NorthEast, which said the contract for demolition is currently being negotiated and a contractor is due to be appointed shortly with demolition work expected to begin as soon as possible.

It said: "Once the development is complete, One NorthEast intends to procure development of the combined site in partnership with Centreland.

"This is the final stage of negotiations to bring forward an exciting, first class mixed use development consisting of residential accommodation, retail and leisure outlets, a scheme which will be more in keeping with the surrounding historic Grainger Town."