A South Shields ice cream boss has rejoiced at a new kiosk getting the green light.

Plans for a new ice-cream sales kiosk in a South Tyneside park have passed the planning taste test – after originally partly coming off the rails.

Toney Minchella Ltd is set to open a second outlet in South Shields’ South Marine Park after council planners gave the go ahead.

It will be stationed near the platform of the Lakeshore Railroad steam passenger railway and will complement its existing café in the same park.

Carlo Minchella, of the award-winning ice-cold refreshments specialist, said he was delighted the scheme had been approved.

Objections from railway bosses

But plans show an original element of the development – for a dedicated ticket office inside the kiosk for the railway - was scrapped.

Railway bosses say they knew nothing of Minchella’s office plan and were not consulted – and objected when they became aware.

And owner Mike Henderson, 77, revealed he does not even issue tickets, something he insists council chiefs welcome due to throwaway waste concerns.

He said: “They put in a planning application, and the dedicated ticket office was in the first set of plans.

“It had not been discussed with us and I’m not sure what it was all about. I objected and it was removed.

“I don’t know how it would have worked in practice. Going back to when the railway opened, the council asked if we would issue tickets.

“Our answer was ‘no’ and I think they were happy to hear that because they didn’t want a litter mess. We never have issued tickets.

“Where they were going to issue the tickets, it was going to be in a quite separate area on one side of the kiosk. It was complete nonsense.”

Mr Minchella said he did not know why Lakeshore Railroad did not want a ticket office, but he still welcomed planning approval.

He added: “We offered the train operator, but they didn’t want it. We thought that it would be good to have a ticket office.

“We had a number of customers ask us to develop a kiosk and we now have planning permission.

“It makes sense to have a kiosk there. We will find a builder and hopefully it will be open in six to 12 months.”