A planning application which is "critical" to the delivery of a replacement for Norfolk's crumbling hospital has been approved.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn has been given the go-ahead to demolish the Inspire Centre, near its main entrance on the town's Gayton Road.

West Norfolk council has also agreed planning permission to build a single-storey children's nursery, to replace the creche housed in the Inspire Centre and a new vaccination centre to replace the one housed in the centre.

Both will be sited next to the hospital's new Endoscopy Centre, which opened in the summer.

Eastern Daily Press: Plans for a new hospital have been drawn up for what is currently the QEH's car park - a new multi-storey will be needed (shown in dark blue) on the Inspire Centre site Plans for a new hospital have been drawn up for what is currently the QEH's car park - a new multi-storey will be needed (shown in dark blue) on the Inspire Centre site (Image: Chris Bishop)

Land the Inspire Centre currently stands on is needed for a new multi-storey car park, to replace the QEH's existing car park which is being proposed as the site of a £682m replacement hospital.

The existing building needs more than 3,000 props to prevent its failing concrete roof from collapsing.

After years of false dawns and delays, the government has pledged it will announce a timetable for replacing the so-called RAAC hospitals - named after the reinforced concrete planks they were built from in the late 1970s - in the New Year.

Eastern Daily Press: Props, girders and wooden battens are needed to prevent the roof of one of the main corridors at the QEH from collapsing Props, girders and wooden battens are needed to prevent the roof of one of the main corridors at the QEH from collapsing (Image: Chris Bishop)

In a planning statement, the QEH says the Inspire Centre needs to be demolished to release land for "future redevelopment".

It adds: "This planning application therefore forms a critical aspect of the delivery of the regeneration of the hospital."

The 500-bed QEH was not included on a list of 40 new hospitals announced by the government two years ago - despite its failing structure which needs thousands of props to support it.

Eastern Daily Press: The roof of the QEH needs thousands of props and supports to prevent it from caving inThe roof of the QEH needs thousands of props and supports to prevent it from caving in (Image: Chris Bishop)

It was hoping to be one of eight further new builds which were due to be announced before Christmas.

But NHS leaders have now been told an announcement will be made in the New Year.

Lord Markham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for the new hospitals programme, said sites such as the QEH which were built from reinforced concrete planks would be integrated into the programme and a timetable would be set out in early 2023.