I WOULD like to comment on the building of a 22-ward psychiatric hospital on what’s left of the old Clifton Hospital site (The Press, July 13).

During the flood of 2000, I can clearly remember the site being completely surrounded by water. This included Blue Beck Drive, which is the only access road to the part of the site now being proposed for development.

What is the NHS playing at wanting to build a new hospital in the middle of a flood zone?

I understand the NHS has already spent taxpayers money getting consultants to draw up flood evacuation plans for a hospital that is not even built yet.

Presumably every time we have a significant flood the patients will have to be evacuated, costing us even more.

If you believe the climatologists, major flooding is going to happen more frequently in the future. So what’s going on?

Surely there are more suitable places to build this hospital. What about in the grounds of Bootham Park Hospital or even next to the Claypenny Hospital, in Easingwold? To my knowledge neither site has ever seen a flood.

Darren Adamson, Fylingdales Avenue, Shipton Road, York.