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Disused Wolverhampton eye infirmary costing NHS £320k

Hospital bosses have shelled out £320,000 on the former eye infirmary in Wolverhampton since it closed in 2007, it can be revealed.

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The cash has been spent on security costs alone, with chiefs admitting the site has become a 'big burden'. They need the cash to help fund big hospital projects such as a new £30 million Emergency Centre, which includes a badly-needed A&E unit. Talks are ongoing to sell the site and it is believed a second supermarket other than Aldi has joined the bidding, as well as a housing developer.

The historic site on Compton Road has been empty for eight years, but is still owned by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

The trust has forked out £40,000 a year to pay for security on the site.

Finance chiefs at New Cross had hoped to fund a revamp of its current eye infirmary – based on site at the hospital – from the sale of the Compton Road building.

But a series of stumbling blocks around planning permission have dogged the old eye infirmary for years.

Last year New Cross boss David Loughton held showdown talks with then-council counterpart Simon Warren to express his 'disgust' at the local authority for turning down planning applications from companies wanting to take over the site.

But Mr Loughton said recent discussions had proved 'productive' and that he was hopeful of a resolution soon.

Mr Loughton added: "The eye infirmary has been a big burden since it closed.

"We desperately need the money to help fund projects like our £30m Emergency Centre.

"We had a helpful meeting with the council and things are moving forward.

"We want to maximise what we get for the site.

"Our capital programme is under enormous pressure because of the emergency centre.

"There are a number of interested parties including a potential supermarket."

The value of the site was around £6m when it became empty in 2007, but is thought to have dropped considerably since then.

The building was originally earmarked for more than 100 flats but the deal fell through and in recent years the site has been subject to a number of vandalism and arson attacks.

When it was moved to New Cross, mass protests ensued and a 48,000-name petition to Downing Street, while supporters held candlelight vigils when it finally shut.

In 2013 three men had to be rescued after a fire in the building. Almost 30 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze on the first floor as smoke billowed out onto the street.

Witnesses reported seeing the squatters enter the building 15 minutes before the fire broke out.

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