YORK’S Bootham Park Hospital is to be sold by the Government, despite the huge campaign to develop an alternative plan for the site.


York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell said it was ‘unforgivable’ that more than 8,000 people who signed a petition to turn the site into a future health campus - with extra care, transitional care, housing for key workers and a new public park - had been ignored.


She said she had held 44 meetings with agencies and Ministers to try to secure the site, adding: “This Tory Government is selling off York bit by bit. This month we have lost our post office and now Bootham Park Hospital.”


But she also claimed City of York Council and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group had ‘failed to advance plans for this site.’


Tory council leader Ian Gillies said he ‘totally refuted’ that comment, and said he was ‘extremely disappointed’ by the sale decision.


He said he viewed it as a ‘short-term fix’ to bring money into the NHS coffers, which ignored the vision that had been developed for the site for the benefit of the city.


Cllr Chris Cullwick, LibDem vice-chair of the health committee, said it was ‘incredibly short-sighted’ that the aspirations of people in the city had been ignored.


 “Bootham Park is valued by many residents and that is why the Council has worked with a number of partners to discuss potential options which would utilise the site for the benefit of the city,” he said, adding he had referred the issue to scrutiny, so members from all parties could best analyse how the council approached the Government’s preferred bidder to secure some benefits for the city.


Council and local health chiefs say they are ‘very disappointed’ by the decision but their ‘efforts certainly don’t end here.’


Council chief executive Mary Weastell, Phil Mettam, accountable officer at the CCG and Mike Proctor, chief executive of York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the Department of Health and Social Care had notified them that it planned to proceed with the sale of the site.
 

CLICK HERE FOR A LOOK ROUND INSIDE BOOTHAM PARK HOSPITAL

They said  they would continue working together ‘to help NHS Property Services work with any bidders to understand the importance of the site and the opportunities it could offer the people of York.’


“We have worked hard together to develop an alternative plan to make the site deliver for York, so we are very disappointed with this outcome.


“We would like to thank all the residents and the local community for contributing to discussions about the future of the site. 


“We understand that you will share our disappointment at this news.


“We have many opportunities as a partnership, neighbouring landowners and planning authority to represent your many comments and ideas for Bootham Park - from transport links to respecting the site’s heritage - in our discussions with bidders to shape their plans for the site.”