Councillors have given the go ahead for a major car auction business to open up on a "shanty town" former container depot site next to the M6 at Perry Barr.

British Car Auctions, which owns We Buy Any Car and last month cancelled plans for a £1.2 billion float, wants to relocate from its current home in Castle Bromwich to the 20- acre former P&O container base site off College Road.

The company says it has been forced to move because its current base, on the Langley Industrial Estate, has been targeted for compulsory purchase to make way for the HS2 line.

The move will see the creation of 200 jobs and restore a site which has been derelict for several years.

Planning committee member Bob Beauchamp (Con Erdington) said: "This is an ideal site for this.

"British Car Auctions are good neighbours and I am sure they will improve the site because it looks like a shanty town at the moment."

His colleague Coun Keith Linnecor (Lab Oscott) also welcomed the move after being assured that the canal, which runs alongside the site, would be protected from pollution from car washing run off and oil spills.

Plans for the site, once home to hundreds of large cargo containers, include an office and sales centre, workshop and valet facilities and parking for 860 cars, plus customer parking spaces.