The notorious School Street flats were demolished in the late 1980s and the land has remained undeveloped ever since.

Now senior councillors want new homes built on the land to accommodate people moved during work to redevelop Hebburn Newtown.

The plan for the Newtown includes building a Tesco store and the demolition of lots of poor housing.

Improvements to transport links are planned and a shopping centre "fit for the 21st century" will be provided.

Members of the council's Cabinet have now agreed the disposal of the School Street site to a private developer.

The aim is to create a mixed development of affordable properties to rent and buy.

Consideration is also to be given for an early-start development of about 20 properties at the Caledonian Street end of School Street.

Coun Eddie McAtominey, Labour ward representative for Hebburn South and the council's lead member for jobs, enterprise and regeneration, has welcomed the move.

He said: "There are 184 families in the Newtown who need to be re-housed. The vast majority have expressed the desire to return to the Newtown, or at least live in Hebburn, and we need to generate properties to accommodate these people."

The original School Street flats were unpopular with tenants, suffered from vandalism and were a drain on council resources.

The council eventually cut its losses and launched demolition work in 1988.

Coun McAtominey said he was eager for work to start as soon as possible.

He added: "We will make every effort to accommodate both tenants and the developers."