The construction sector in the South West has received a further boost after approval was given for a £95 million arena in Bristol.

Members of the City Council’s development control committee gave their unanimous backing to plans for the new 12,000-seater Bristol Arena, to be built on the site of a former diesel depot.

The planning application included details of a public plaza and new access routes, as well as outline plans for the development of housing, business and leisure facilities.

It was approved after councillors deferred making a final decision on the project last month, so that extra transport information could be added to the plans.

Bristol Arena is the latest of a raft of building projects that look set to create thousands of construction jobs in the region.

According to CITB’s Construction Skills Network report, some 6,480 vacancies in the building trades will need to be filled every year in the South West over the next five years.

This employment surge is being driven by investment in infrastructure projects, including the proposed £1.4 billion Avon power station close to Bristol.

Construction staff are already on site at the Arena Island area of the city, creating new access routes to the site, which is close to Temple Meads railway station.

Building work will be carried out by Bouygues UK and will get underway later this year, with the venue set to open to the public in 2018.