Demolition of former hospital building will create more parking at North Cambs in Wisbech

Patients visiting a Fenland hospital could soon find it easier to park with plans being drawn up to increase car parking capacity.

Cambridgeshire Community Services has applied to Fenland District Council to demolish the former pathology block at the North Cambs Hospital in Wisbech.

The two-storey brick and render building, which is located at the centre of the hospital site between the kitchen block and the medical centre is surround by existing parking.

It is currently vacant having previously housed pathology services on the groundfloor and ante-natal serves on the first floor. However, these services have been relocated within the hospital, meaning the building is redundant.

Ante-natal services are now provided by a new maternity hub which opened at the North Cambs in spring last year.

A planning statement submitted in support of the application explains the proposal is to demolish the existing structure in its entirety and return it to ground level.

Once demolished the site will be temporarily repurposed as an area of car parking, pending a full redevelopment of the car parking arrangements on the site.

The statement drawn up by Ingelton Wood Martindales on behalf of Cambridgeshire Community Services explains: "There is no existing nor proposed landscaping that will be affected by the proposal. The temporary parking area will be in Tarmacadam to match the existing surrounding surfaces, and link to existing footpaths which have dropped kerbs."

The site is accessed via the existing hospital entrance, and the temporary parking will be a continuation of the surrounding existing parking provision.

Demolition of the building is expected to begin on April 3.