AN APPLICATION for the demolition of a community hospital's outpatient department has been lodged.

Proposals to knock town the single storey outpatients department at the Royal Alexander Hospital, Rhyl, have been put forward to Denbighshire County Council by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

The building is currently empty; outpatient services were relocated to the Glan Traeth building following minor work before Christmas.

After the demolition, the area of land under the footprint will be used as a temporary parking area using crushed material from the foundations to the building.

In the future, the hospital is to be refurbished and a £40-million community hospital will be built on the site.

This is expected to be open by 2020 and the aim is to offer a range of services including diagnostics, minor injuries and community-based inpatient care.

A spokesperson from BCUHB said: "Outpatient services were relocated to our Glan Traeth building to ensure the site meets our patients’ accessibility needs.

"The former outpatient building was originally built in the 1960s, and is no longer fit for delivering healthcare services. Clearing the site will also create additional space for the future development of the hospital site.

"The health board is currently working on a business case to develop a new hospital adjacent to the Royal Alexandra Hospital site for the Welsh Government to consider."

The existing main hospital buildings were designed as hospital buildings and were constructed in 1899-1910 over several phases.

They were designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse and were said to be finished by his son.