Stefan King, the millionaire leisure entrepreneur, has been given the go-ahead to recreate a historic railway station.

Glasgow City Council's executive committee approved the scheme without any major objections yesterday.

However, there are still a number of hurdles to get over before work on the project in the Botanic Gardens, in the city's west end, begins.

Mr King, who heads bar, club and restaurant chain G1 Group, is already working on a detailed planning application. He will also have to convince the city's licensing board of the merits of the scheme before he is given the go-ahead to sell alcohol.

As part of his bid, Mr King has promised a mini-railway, bandstand and pavilion for the city park. He will also construct a conference and performance centre, as well as a nightclub, on a disused subterranean railway platform.

The former station site, on the Great Western Road perimeter of the park, will become a family-orientated cafe-bar and restaurant across two floors, based on the original architectural plans for the elegant James Miller design.

The station opened in 1894 and closed in 1939.

The street-level buildings were demolished following a fire in 1970 but the disused platforms remain intact in the tunnel, although the line from Maryhill to Stobcross junction, now the SECC, closed in 1964.

Mr King, whose portfolio includes more than 40 venues across Scotland, will have to pay a fixed rental of £5000 a year for the first five years, rising to £12,000 after that.

In addition to the rent and cost of construction, the extra pledges will also come to around £500,000.

Last night, a G1 spokesman said: "We are absolutely delighted. G1 Group is particularly thrilled that our first major venture in partnership with Glasgow City Council has now been approved.

"We believe that by working together in this way we will be able to achieve something that the people of Glasgow will enjoy and benefit from immensely.

"We are already working on our detailed planning application and we can assure the west end community this will be a building of which they can be truly proud.

"Clearly, it's in everyone's interest to create something of the highest quality and the people of Glasgow should expect no less."

The unusual application is part of a city-council strategy to attract more people to parks via commercial ventures.

Mr King's bid, which was part of a competition, was also judged to be the only suitable submission received.

A city council spokesman confirmed the bid had been approved.