NEWCASTLE United Football Club hopes to build a multi-million pound leisure, retail complex and luxury hotel at its St James' Park stadium.

Details of the plan, which would change the face of a large part of the city centre, emerged yesterday.

The complex would include flats, a cinema, nightclub and restaurants and would cost tens of millions of pounds.

A Durham firm of architects, RPS Consultants, is thought to have started work on the scheme, and a planning application has been received by Newcastle City Council. A spokesman said no decision will be made until after a public consultation exercise.

David Stonehouse, chief executive of Newcastle United, was quoted in a national Sunday newspaper as saying the development had been part of the long-term plans of the club.

He said: "We are trying to get the principle agreed that the land can be used for a hotel at some future date. That has always been our long-term aim."

A spokesman for the city's Chamber of Commerce said it would welcome the development.

He said: "We welcome any development that would bring investment, particularly as the area concerned is close to one which has fairly high unemployment."

The financial fortunes of the club suffered last season after mediocre performances from the team. Its shares were just over a quarter of the 1997 value of 140p at the end of the season.

The development would follow the model of Chelsea Village, which owns Chelsea FC, in west London.

However, the Chelsea Village development revealed in March that pre-tax losses of £3.5m for the last financial year had been made.