THE proposed 517-space car park opposite the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital has been given planning permission.

Senior councillors have approved the £1.6million scheme aims to make life easier for patients, visitors and staff and reduce traffic congestion on Haslingden Road and in Guide.

The car park will be built by Blackburn with Darwen Council on land it owns in Old Bank Lane opposite the hospital complex.

It will have 467 standard size spaces 50 larger ones, 20 motorcycle baysand two CCTV camera masts.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough’s planning and highways committee approved the scheme at its meeting last week and construction work can now start.

Chairman Dave Smith said: “This scheme was warmly praised by councillors and we all hope it will be built as soon as possible.”

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust estimates it is short of around 250 car parking spaces.