Hospital scheme inquiry to be held

A public inquiry is set to be held into compulsory purchase orders needed for Smethwick's new £484 million super hospital project to proceed.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital's NHS Trust will be holding the inquiry in June after objections were raised by landowners in Grove Lane where the development will be located.

The Trust is in negotiations with landowners after the outline business case for the scheme was rubber-stamped by the Government.

Buying the land is a major step in building the new hospital.

It will replace City Hospital in Winson Green, and the Sandwell Hospital in West Bromwich.

Project director Graham Seager had said that he hoped the compulsory orders would not be required and he would be able to negotiate with landowners.

Thirty-one landowners are involved, covering 68 plots.

Hospital spokeswoman Jessamy Kinghorn, said: "It is part of the compulsory purchase order process that if we get any objections we hold a public inquiry and with such a big piece of land we would anticipate that there would be some objections.

"We have planned for a public inquiry since developing the case for the compulsory purchase orders. It is not going to affect the timetable for the hospital."

An update on the project to the hospitals trust board, which meets tomorrow, says the inquiry will be held between June 15 and 24.

Full details of where it will be held will follow.

The Grove Lane site covers 16.7 acres on the Sandwell-Birmingham border.