Go-ahead for town’s new A&E hospital building
PLANS for a multi-million transformation of Walsall’s A&E that will “cement the presence” of the hospital in the town have been approved.
Walsall Council planning chiefs backed the £36 million upgrade of the Manor Hospital’s emergency department, which will see a new two-storey healthcare building and the existing A&E facilities refurbished.
Councillors said it was a vital project that will improve healthcare and provide a massive boost for people in the borough.
Walsall NHS Healthcare Trust said the redevelopment was needed to help the hospital cope with increasing demand in the coming years. At the end of 2018, the Government announced funding for the project had been approved and the work is expected to take around 18 months – with the facility completed by April 2022.
However, the development will see the loss of 40 car parking spaces.
Speaking for the trust, Paul Wood said: “This is a very important development for the local hospital and for the local population.
“The current existing department is very inadequate in terms of provision of modern healthcare and was built at a time when there was only expected to be about 150 patients a day. We’re now experiencing over 300 patients a day. In terms of issues around car parking, we have re-provided 100 out of 140 spaces that will be lost and we do have some potential options to find the other spaces in the future with a piece of land across the road from the hospital which is owned by the trust.
“We’re also willing to work with the council on the travel plan and trying to minimise the amount of traffic that will be associated with this development.”
Walsall Council leader and committee chairman Mike Bird said: “We welcome this. I hope this will cement the presence of the Manor Hospital in Walsall for many years to come.
‘‘I go back to when there was a suggestion of merging with New Cross.
“No, this is our hospital, this is Walsall Manor and this is the improvement for the greater benefit of Walsall people.”