Bootham Park Hospital site cost taxpayer £2.6m since closure

And an MP in the city said she wants to see the site used for public good by developing key worker housing and a public park.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said that Bootham Park Hospital, a former mental health hospital, has cost taxpayers £2.6 million to maintain since it closed in 2015, which she recently discovered after discussions with NHS Property Services.

"This money has achieved nothing and has been spent at a time when the NHS is on its knees. The cost continues to rise daily," she said.

• READ MORE: Bootham Park Hospital site in York is put on the market for sale

The site had been earmarked for redevelopment and was set to be turned into a retirement village. But, in March this year, the scheme was dropped due to spiralling costs - and the hospital site was later placed back on the market sale.

Ms Maskell said she wants to see the site put to use to support the public, with key worker housing and renovation of the main Carr building - as well as a public park and accessible open space.

The MP has written to the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, to request a meeting about Bootham Park, with discussion centred upon the Department for Levelling Up's recent statement regarding the 'below best value' policy for disposal of public sites.

York MP Rachael Maskell has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to request a meeting (Image: Frank Dwyer/Newsquest)

In the letter, Ms Maskell said: "The development situation in York is currently failing. A number of heritage buildings and other conversions have not gone ahead with developers pulling out of plans.

"In the light of the agreement that Michael Gove as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has signed to allow for the disposal of property for ‘below best value’, I believe this should enable a partnership to come forward to use the land for public need.

"While not all of the land on the site is able to be developed, the opportunity to develop this could provide for a significant amount of key worker housing for the city.

• READ MORE: Bootham Park Hospital development dropped because of spiralling costs

"The Carr heritage building has no value as a health facility, however, this building would be of real value to the emerging economy in York, not least in the digital media space, where the business return is highly significant.

"The frontage of the site provides an ideal opportunity for a new public park, in a highly densely populated part of York."

Cllr Katie Lomas, the executive member for finance at 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.

Cllr Lomas said: "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."