A £120 million casino, hotel and cinema development at Birmingham’s NEC, due to create 1,100 jobs, is a step closer after being granted a licence.

Genting UK has been granted a large casino premises licence by Solihull Council licensing chiefs for a new leisure and entertainment complex, set to span 538,195 sq ft and seven floors,

Named Resorts World at The NEC, the proposals also include a spa, conference and banqueting centre, shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as a 300-space car park.

The next step in the long-awaited scheme is an application for planning permission, which is now being prepared for submission to Solihull Council. If approved, the development iwill open in early 2014.

Paul Thandi, chief executive of The NEC Group, said: “The £120 million investment in Resorts World at The NEC is the next important stage in our journey to delivering ‘Destination NEC’.

“The first was the £29 million redevelopment of the LG Arena. Resorts World at The NEC will complement the LG Arena and the exhibition facilities fantastically well, and will broaden and deepen the appeal of a site that already attracts around 3 million visitors a year.”

It will be located between the LG Arena and the Crowne Plaza Hotel.