Cardiff councillors praised the quality of finish planned at the new stadium

The development, just a stone's throw from the city's Millennium Stadium, will have 30,000 seats but this could be expanded to 60,000.

Cardiff City managing director David Temme welcomed the decision.

The project is being funded by selling land for a retail and a hotel development which forms part of the proposals.

Separate plans for this are expected to be considered next month.

Cardiff planning chairman Councillor Graham Hinchey called it an "imaginative proposal" and "a very exciting development for Cardiff".

"Clearly, we're delighted that the reserve matters application was approved and we move a step nearer to starting this important project," he said.

How the stadium will look when it opens in the Summer of 2006

The scheme is central to chairman Sam Hammam's dream of seeing the Bluebirds, currently in the First Division, join football's elite by reaching the Premiership.

The proposals also include 1,458 carparking spaces which will also be available for park-and-ride on non-match days.

The stadium will be built on the site which is currently home to the Cardiff Athletics Stadium, opposite Ninian Park in the Leckwith area.

The old stadium, the club's home for 84 years, will make way for new housing.

Work on a new athletics stadium is expected to start in the summer. The whole project, including retail and hotel development, is expected to cost £100 million.

The football club is awaiting for tenders for work on the football and athletics stadiums, with three construction companies thought to be bidding for the contract.