PLANS have been submitted to turn the soon-to-be demolished Crown House into a temporary car park.

Wyre Forest District Council wants to use the land as a 30-space car park for five years while a permanent plan for the site is decided.

Deputy council leader and cabinet member for economic regeneration, planning and capital investments, Councillor Fran Oborski, said: “The council has submitted a planning application to use the site as an additional town centre car park while longer term plans for the regeneration of this part of Kidderminster are considered.

“Our plans for the site will be firmed up when we receive the decision on our bid for Future High Streets Funding as the Crown House site is an important part of that bid.

"It will be a public car park and attract charges like any other.”

A planning application, lodged last week, features designs for a car park with 30 spaces including three disabled and four for motorcycles.

Kidderminster Shuttle:

Work to demolish the 1970s eight storey building is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and the district council plans to start using the site as a car park in the first quarter of 2020.

The land would need to be redeveloped with a ramp installed between the two levels.

Wyre Forest Council says the car park would help to bring activity into the area and support town centre businesses through the provision of added parking capacity.

The application states that "without a temporary use, there is a danger that the site would continue to be a blot on the Kidderminster landscape".

Most of Crown House has been vacant for a number of years with the last tenant vacating in 2016 and the eyesore was once rated among the top 10 ugliest buildings in Britain.

Telereal Trillium said the demolition work is running on schedule and that an update is expected by the start of next year.