Northampton's St Edmund's Hospital planning application expected

St Edmund's Hospital has been closed since 1998

A derelict hospital in Northampton is to be redeveloped for "care use" in a council's regeneration programme.

The Grade II listed St Edmund's Hospital has been empty since 1998 and is now an "eyesore" to the public.

The borough council has announced new projects for 2014 and said the current owners would submit a planning application during the summer.

The Labour group has been compiling a petition to ask the council to have the Wellington Road site redeveloped.

High on the list of the borough council regeneration projects is the redevelopment of the Guildhall Road area in the town centre.

This is to become the heart of a cultural quarter to attract creative businesses centred on the the historical Vulcan Works, a Grade ll listed building dating from the 1870s.

European funds bid

The former Vulcan Works on Guildhall Road is set to become the heart of a cultural quarter

The building has been occupied for nearly two years by a building contractor working on the new university campus.

It pledged to renovate the building when it has completed the work at no cost to the council.

The borough council is now going to bid for £5m from European funds to regenerate the surrounding area as a cultural quarter with leisure venues.

The council estimates 240 jobs could be created and work is planned to begin in 2015.

The Labour group on the borough council is expected to comment later.