NHS bosses to sell off old Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary
Wolverhampton's landmark former Eye Infirmary will be advertised on the open market again as hospital bosses desperately try to find a buyer for the derelict site.
The historic building on Compton Road has been empty for eight years, but is still owned by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
New Cross boss David Loughton today branded the site as a liability as he announced they would be restarting the search for a buyer.
It costs the hospital trust £40,000 a year to pay for security at the site.
Mr Loughton said: "It is about to be advertised on the open market so we will wait and see what offers we get. It's been empty now for eight years.
"We want to dispose of it as soon as possible because it is a liability to us, it's a security liability. It's costing us £40,000 a year on security.
"It's just a case of whether someone wants to take it on to develop it. The problem is there are a number of buildings that have got to be restored but have to be brought up to modern building standards."
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.
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, there were protests 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.
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.
Earlier this year it was revealed that hospital bosses have shelled out £320,000 on the former site since it closed in 2007.
The cash has been spent on security costs alone, with chiefs admitting the site has become a big burden
