At last! Dudley banqueting suite to be demolished after five-year wrangle as car park poised to get the nod

Proposals to knock down a derelict banqueting suite to make way for the new car park have been recommended for approval by council planners.

Bosses have earmarked the Mahoe building in Tower Street for demolition with a car park to be built in its place.

If the scheme gets the green light it will bring to a close nearly five years of wrangling over the project.

The car park will feature around 90 spaces and is a scaled-back version of the council's initial scheme. Bosses originally wanted to create a multi-storey car park on the site but were blocked from doing so by Historic England, which raised fears about the impact a large building would have on views.

They instead decided to go-ahead with a ground-level car park rather than have to scrap the scheme altogether. Regeneration boss Councillor Khurshid said he had considered building below ground but that option would have proved too costly.

He said the council would continue to look out for opportunities where more parking spaces can be created.

Councillors are due to make a final decision on Monday. They have been advised to give the plan the go-ahead by planning officers.

A lack of parking spaces within easy walking distance of the town centre has been an issue causing concern for shoppers and traders in Dudley for years.

Councillor Khurshid said the extra spaces would make a big difference.

He said: "I am delighted. We are always wanting to help people and businesses and extending the number of car parking spaces will allow us to do that.

"We want Dudley town centre to prosper and we want to see more tourism. We also want to help residents who are shopping in the town. We saw an option to create more spaces and wanted to grab it and maximise it."

Nearby Baylies' Hall, which is a grade II-listed building, will not be affected by the scheme, council chiefs said.

If the plans are given the final seal of approval, it is hoped demolition of the Mahoe building would begin in the summer. If planning permission is granted, work will start with the removal of the derelict former banqueting suite and continue with feasibility and design works towards a package to fund the building of the car park.

The Mahoe building has stood in Tower Street since the start of the 20th century. Over the years it has been used as a nightclub and restaurant and a printworks. In recent years it has been used by the council for storage.