North Tyneside Council will consider the plans to build a waterfront housing scheme at Smith’s Dock.

Smith’s Dock was a major part of the Tyne’s shipbuilding industry but  closed down in the 1990s.

Nigel Brewer, project director at Places for People, said one of the main aims was to connect the Fish Quay and Royal Quays communities.

A pedestrian boulevard and cycle paths would be built along the bank to open up the riverside.

He said: “This application marks an important new phase in the history of Smith’s Dock. This is the start of its revival, where the site will once again become a destination for people to live, work and socialise.

“We are keen to get the economy moving. The economic benefits of this site will inevitably extend into the wider Tyneside region.”

Mary Glindon, MP for North Tyneside, said she welcomed the development in principle but was planning to organise a site visit to find out more about the scheme.

She added: “That site has lain undeveloped for a long time and any plans to bring it back into use have got to be a good thing.

“I think people need a chance to look at the proposals in more detail and see whether 800 houses are right for that location.

“But on the face of it, the plans look quite magnificent.”