A building branded Wolverhampton’s worst eyesore has been put up for sale with a price tag of about £2million.

The former Hartwell Charles Clark car showroom in Chapel Ash has stood derelict for more than six years, targeted by vandals, squatters and drug abusers. Today there is hope it will become the site of modern flats.

Such a scheme would dramatically improve one of the city centre’s main gateways.

The site was owned by Manchester property company Greenmount, which has been hit by a string of fines totalling more than £8,000 after being taken to court by Wolverhampton Council on several occasions because of the declining state of the building.

Greenmount went into administrative receivership in September and the receiver has instructed Birmingham property agents Savills to sell the half-acre site, on the corner of Merridale Road and Lord Street.

Wolverhampton Council’s regeneration chief Councillor Peter Bilson said: “If that means we are going to see some progress with that building at long last, I am all for it. It is not before time.

“The blight that place is causing means it is long overdue for someone to take ownership and do something with it. They will find a receptive Wolverhampton Council to deal with.”

The three-storey building was used by the Hartwell Charles Clark business as an LDV van centre and Rover franchise until it was closed in 2001. Since then it has stood empty and suffered increasing vandalism that led locals to describe it as the city’s worst eyesore.

Greenmount had secured planning permission to build apartments on the site but work never started.

Savills says the cleared site behind the three-storey building has planning permission for 24 new flats, and the existing building has approval to be converted into 18 apartments and two ground-floor retail units.