A NEW £12million college development is to take shape in Dudley following the sale of a council car park.

Dudley Council was this week finalising the sale of its Priory Road car park to Dudley College which is set to build a new high-tech teaching block for construction students, currently based at Mons Hill, and to create extra workshop facilities to pave the way for new construction courses.

Council bosses say, despite the loss of the popular car park, plenty alternative parking spaces will remain available in the town – in Stafford Street and Flood Street – and they are urging motorists who currently park at the Priory Road facility to make new arrangements ahead of the site’s closure on February 27.

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, Dudley’s cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: “There are more than enough long and short stay parking options at in the town centre, as well as free on-street parking, for people coming to Dudley to enjoy the shopping and other tourism pursuits we have to offer.”

He said the new Advance2 development, which follows the opening of the Advance building in November 2014, will provide “new, state-of-the-art education and skills facilities giving young people the best opportunities when they come to look for jobs” and added: “Developments like this bring new people and investment to the town which is good news for the businesses in Dudley.”

Councillor Paul Brothwood, Dudley’s UKIP group leader, however, described the loss of the town car park as “an odd strategy”, adding: “They’re talking about regeneration of the town and attracting more people to come to the town – if we lose yet another car park that seems bizarre. Parking in Dudley is a bit of a nightmare.”

Council chiefs, however, say there are 680 spaces at Flood Street and a further 240 at Stafford Street, plus more than 800 free on-street parking spaces within ten-minutes’ walk of the town centre.