A crumbling outpatients building at Walsall Manor Hospital will be demolished and replaced with more than 40 parking spaces in a bid to ease traffic problems.

The redundant two-storey Block 55 is be pulled down to create extra room next to the Accident and Emergency department. The 44-space car park will relieve problems around the Manor where neighbours have complained about vehicles left on residential streets.

A new 300-space car park also opened nearby at the former Wilcox Motor Bodies site just weeks ago.

Walsall Council has agreed to the plan which will fit in with the £174 million rebuild of the hospital site in Moat Road.

Lincoln Dawkin, deputy director of estates and hospital redevelopment, said: “It was decided that the use of Block 55 was no longer required as office accommodation and therefore a revised planning application was submitted to remove this building.

“Not only will this create extra visitor parking but also future development space adjacent to A&E.”

Dozens of cars have been towed away as part of a crackdown on cars blocking residents’ driveways in areas such as Manor Road, Scarborough Road and Ida Road near the hospital.

More than 85 vehicles were ticketed and 50 towed away.

Meanwhile, the opening of the Pleck Road site has been praised by police and hospital bosses for helping to reduce issues about parking clogging up other roads.

The decision to pull down the old outpatients building followed a review saying it was no longer fit for purpose and surplus to requirements. The revamped hospital site will have a new wing for women’s and children’s services, a treatment centre and a training complex for the teaching of staff.

People who have their vehicles towed away have to contact police to find the location of their car and face a £30 fixed penalty.

Fees for hospital car parking spots for an hour or less doubled from £1 to £2 this year, while rates for each subsequent hour and for the whole day remained at £1 and £5 respectively.