PLANS to build a new sports stadium for York's football and rugby clubs have moved one step closer to reality.

A full City of York Council meeting tonight approved a further £198,000 of funding towards the project, with support from 33 out of the 40 councillors who voted.

The scheme was agreed by the council's executive earlier this month, and, if successful, would see a 6,000 all-seater arena being built at Monks Cross to house York City FC and York City Knights.

About two dozen supporters of the scheme were in the public gallery to voice their approval for the project, after a call to arms by fans' pressure group A Stadium For York, which also presented the council with a petition urging it to everything in its power to ensure the stadium was built before 2015.

Councillors agreed the city should have a community stadium, but some criticised the report before them, calling it "unambitious".

Council leader Andrew Waller addressed concerns from other councillors that the report into the stadium lacked detail.

"The people in the public gallery are saying 'get on with it'," he said.

"It is only now we have a clear site in mind that the detailed plans can go forward."

Now the plan has been approved by the full authority, funding and planning permission for the development must be found.

The estimated cost of a basic football ground is £11.5 million, rising to £17.5 million with added community and commercial facilities, meaning millions of pounds' worth of funding gaps must be filled.

The £198,000 funding agreed at last night's meeting will come from Government initiatives which reward local authorities for encouraging local business growth.

The council also unanimously approved plans to grant a further £1 million towards the York Sports Village swimming pool, to be located near the Grimston Bar Park&Ride site.