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Search the Public Notice PortalA “coalition of the willing” must “urgently come together” to help keep the former Bootham Park Hospital site in York for the public, an MP has said.
Rachael Maskell said she has met with the government minister over the 18th century Grade I-listed site, which has stood empty since the psychiatric hospital closed in 2015, who stated the NHS should work with the council on its potential uses.
A spokesperson for NHS Property Services, which owns Bootham Park Hospital, said its 18-month “programme of public benefits” is underway at the site. The programme includes preserving historic assets, improving cycling and pedestrian access, and delivering sports pitches for local schools and the community, they said.
Bootham Park Hospital in York
(Image: Dylan Connell)
Planning permission was granted in 2023 to redevelop the site into a luxury care home but the previous developer did not proceed with the scheme.
NHS Property Services has since maintained and marketed the site, which remains for sale under offer.
City of York Council granted the current developers an extension to August 14 for their application to discharge conditions required under the 2023 planning permission. These included work on site remediation, tree protection, and biodiversity and bats schemes.
The deadline has since been extended to October 28, NHS Property Services said.
Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central
(Image: UK Parliament/PA Wire)
Ms Maskell, MP for York Central, has called on the government to intervene to keep the historic psychiatric hospital in community hands.
Ms Maskell said it was “very disappointing that a second extension of time has been given to discharge the conditions for development”.
It comes after the Labour MP, along with Green Party campaigners, raised concern over the felling of three “precious” trees at the former hospital site.
Ms Maskell also claimed the trees had been removed before a required bat survey was undertaken at the site, “which would have a very obvious environmental impact”.
Guildhall Green Party activist Ben Ffrench next to one of the felled trees at the former Bootham Park Hospital site in York
(Image: Supplied)
NHS Property Services said it was “necessary to remove some trees in order to create better cycling and pedestrian access and links to the wider community”, but it was “endeavouring to fell as few trees as possible, as part of these works”.
Planning permission also requires around 180 new trees to be planted as part of the wider development at Bootham Park, NHS Property Services said.
It added that all the work was “in accordance with the current planning permission granted by City of York Council”.* *
'If we can stop the sell off, it will be of benefit to us all for generations' - MP
Ms Maskell said she has written to local stakeholders, including the council and the mayor, to meet her and discuss options for the Bootham Park Hospital site.
"It is clear to me that a coalition of the willing needs to urgently come together to put forward an alternate proposal to keep Bootham Park in public hands,” she said.
“The prime minister's devolution agenda is really motoring forward with more resource and power being placed in the hands of local people,” the MP added. “Bootham Park is a key priority for me and the general public and if we can stop the sell off, it will be of benefit to us all for generations.
“We must remember that £5 million has been spent on keeping the building empty over the last decade due to the mismanagement of this site in not seeking how it could be put to use for public good."
- Historic features at Bootham Park Hospital must be protected, say York campaigners
- Concern over felling of ‘precious’ trees at former Bootham Park Hospital site in York
- ‘Scandal’ of £5.5m wasted on Bootham Park Hospital – 'give it to people of York'
The NHS Property Services spokesperson said: “NHS Property Services continues to engage with City of York Council in relation to the planning requirements associated with Bootham Park Hospital.
"Our programme of public benefits is underway and will preserve heritage assets, enhance cycling and pedestrian access, and deliver high-quality sports provision for local schools and the community.
“We look forward to providing further updates as work progresses on the approximately 18-month programme, which will deliver new sports pitches alongside enhanced cycling and walking connections through the site.”