Bootham Park Hospital 'must be kept for public use'

The former psychiatric hospital has stood empty since it was closed abruptly in 2015.

It had been earmarked for redevelopment and was set to be turned into a retirement village.

But in March this year, just seven weeks after the developer's plans were approved by City of York Council, the scheme was sensationally dropped because of spiralling costs.

Now the hospital and its nearly 18 acres of grounds have been put on the market for sale – for the second time in just a few years.

Last time it was up for sale, attempts to keep it for public use failed.

But York Central MP Rachael Maskell said the fact it was now back on the market was an opportunity which must not be missed.

Bootham Park Hospital (Image: Stock)

She said the building would be ideal for providing accommodation for essential workers, such as nurses and doctors at York Hospital – and she would be meeting soon with NHS Property Services, which still owns the building, to discuss its future use.

City of York Council’s new Labour leader Claire Douglas, meanwhile, says she would like to see the 18 acres of grounds kept as a green space for the people of York.

The problem will be funding.

An advert on Rightmove says the site comprises 17.85 acres - including the Grade I & II Listed Bootham Park Hospital itself.

The site has full planning permission and listed building consent for a 172-room retirement village, the advert goes on to say, adding that ‘offers are sought on a conditional and unconditional basis for the whole of the property’.

It won’t come cheap.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell (Image: Supplied)

But Ms Maskell said it may be possible to take advantage of a new policy announcement by Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove, which would allow public assets to be sold at les than ‘best price’ (ie full market value), provided they were to be used for social benefit.

“It is back on the market, and it is in play again – so we must play,” she said. “It must be brought back into public use for public benefit.”

Cllr Katie Lomas, the executive member for finance on City of York Council, said ‘all possibilities’ for the site were being explored – and that the council would be keen to work with local developers to find a solution.

She said: “We’re hearing about a lack of available accommodation for hospital key workers such as trainee nurses and doctors and this site next door continues to sit empty, almost eight years after it closed.

“It is incumbent on us to consider what role the council can play to ensure the site achieves some public benefit for future generations of York residents.

“If there are local developers interested in doing something with parts of the site we’d be keen to speak with them. We don’t want to see the site sold off just to be developed as a gated community, it must achieve some significant public benefit”.