Plans for a £445,000 skateboard park and bike track to be built on a former storage area next to Hairy Bob's Cave in Marine Drive were unanimously approved yesterday by Scarborough Council's planning and development committee.

The scheme includes a large skateboarding facility with a bowl section and street section. In a separate area there will be a series of reinforced dirt ramps and jumps for the bikes.

A weld mesh fence will be built around the site with a rebound fence inside.

Floodlighting is planned along the fence line which will be timed to operate between dusk and 10pm.

The committee was told the site also includes a legal graffiti wall which planning bosses hope will be a focal point for those with an interest in spray art.

The skate park is being developed in partnership with local young people and those involved have formed Skate 4 Scarborough to help design the new park.

Members of the group approached the council in 2003 about developing the area.

The Friends of Royal Albert Park has also worked with the council in the project.

A band and club night is due to be held at Vivaz tonight to raise awareness of the project. It starts at 7pm and features Wobbley Bob, Property of Dave, Fettes, The Occasion and Luke Keegan.

Tom Mutton, Scarborough Council's parks development officer, said: "Getting this planning permission brings Hairy Bob's skate park one step closer and is definitely something to celebrate at the fundraising gig on Friday.

"We still have some funding to find in order to achieve our target but we are shortly to submit our stage 2 Sport England bid and are also looking for a sponsor for the park.

"If we can find a sponsor we can apply to Sportsmatch to match the sponsorship pound for pound, which is an excellent opportunity."

Scarborough and District Civic Society commented it would be "an interesting use" of the disused storage area and offered a further visitor attraction, particularly for the young and agile.