Monument Metro station pub plan approved by council

Sam Beldon will manage the pub on the underground concourse

BBC Manager Sam Beldon at site of micropub — Sam Beldon will manage the pub on the underground concourse

Plans to open a pub inside a Metro station have been approved by Newcastle City Council.

The Waypoint, which will offer local beers, will occupy a unit in Monument Station that was used as a travel agent until 2015.

Nexus, which manages the Metro, said it was "an exciting new business venture" for the disused facility.

The station is the busiest on the network and used by 10 million passengers a year.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said councillors granted planning permission for the redevelopment in December, but there were objections from the council's licensing authority.

These have now been resolved, and a licence granted.

The pub will feature local beers and a grand piano

Newcastle City Council Floor plan for Monument Metro Station bar — The pub will feature local beers and a grand piano

Sam Beldon, who will manage The Waypoint, said the pub would provide a "warm welcome for commuters heading home after a hard day's work".

Huw Lewis, from Nexus, said: "This development is something different for Metro's busiest station, right in the heart of Newcastle city centre, and we think that our passengers will really like it."