A new fan zone outside St James’ Park looks set to go ahead as planned, after police dropped their objections to the development.

Northumbria Police and Newcastle City Council licensing authority withdrew their opposition to the proposed Stack venue outside the football stadium ahead of a licensing hearing on Tuesday morning, clearing the path for its approval.

While the outcome of the hearing has not been formally announced, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the council’s licensing sub-committee has signed off on an operating licence for the 3,000-capacity fan park in Strawberry Place.

Documents published last week revealed that the police held concerns over the prospect of the fan zone concentrating a large number of drinkers immediately outside the ground.

However, city councillors were told on Tuesday morning that those fears had been allayed after Stack bosses agreed to impose stricter conditions on its licence – including the promise to “observe and seek to give effect to any reasonable direction made by Northumbria Police” in relation to crowd management at “high risk” times.

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The Newcastle United fan zone would be similar to the now-dismantled Stack on Pilgrim Street, made up of a collection of bars and 10 street food vendors arranged over two floors with a large seating area and stage in the centre.

It is now expected to open in spring 2024, on a temporary three-year basis, and bosses requested a licence to sell alcohol every day of the week from 10am to midnight, with the venue not being limited to football matchdays.

Barrister Charles Holland, representing Stack, told the committee that the Stack plans offered a brighter future for the Strawberry Place land – which has been the subject of much controversy over the years, having been sold by former Magpies owner Mike Ashley before being bought back by the club’s new Saudi-led ownership.

Mr Holland said: “The land, as we are all aware, has not been put to the best use over the past decade for a site of that importance. It was a car park for very many years and most recently has been used to accommodate materials for nearby construction projects.

“It is high time that something more useful and beneficial to the community was done with this area. It is anticipated that the zone will create a host of economic and employment opportunities for the city centre.”

It is hoped that the fan zone will create 150 new jobs. Mr Holland also confirmed that the city council has effectively been offered a “veto” on the new Stack, as the premises will not be allowed to open until the local authority has approved a noise management plan for the site.

Council licensing chief Jonathan Bryce said that a promise that the venue will have 350 seats had given him “some reassurance” and that its licence had been “built on significantly” since the original objections were made. However, opposition remained from city centre Labour councillors Jane Byrne and Shumel Rahman.

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Coun Rahman said he supported the principle of a fan park but had concerns about the impact of noise on surrounding residents, with Coun Byrne adding that there had been “no consideration given by the applicant to limiting noise, which will have a significant detrimental impact on local residents”.

Mr Holland branded noise worries relating to the previous Stack development on Pilgrim Street as a “cut and paste myth”.

He told the committee: “There is no evidence before you that Pilgrim Street caused significant, considerable noise problems to residents and even if there was it is not relevant to your determination.”

The council’s environmental health department has said it is satisfied that noise from the venue can be limited using a “state-of-the-art sound system” that would prevent nuisance.