Bootham Park Masterplan published

City of York Council has today published a draft masterplan for the Bootham Park Hospital site, following the public consultation which took place last year.

The masterplan, developed jointly between the York Council and the York teaching Hospital NHS Trust, proposes “a viable option for the development of the site, one that meets the needs of York residents by providing care accommodation, public open space, key worker housing and more”.

The key features of the plan include.

A Nursing home included on YTHT land (part of former nurse’s accommodation site).
Residential development aimed at the senior living market to the
east of the chapel.
Child care nursery located on northern edge of YTHT land –
directly accessible to the York Hospital site
The main former hospital building to be converted to extra care
apartments (potentially incorporating step down care linked to
York Hospital). Unlisted elements to be removed and a new block
built to the north east in order to provide a viable number of units.
Unlisted and some grade 2 listed elements to the west
removed in order to accommodate a Medical Training and
Research Centre of Excellence with associated Key Worker
Accommodation (medical staff).
A linear ‘’atrium’’ provides a main access and control point but
also visually separates the form of old and new elements.
Landscaped area to the north redesigned to provide a semi
private garden and courtyard space in the centre of the listed
building group reinstated as landscape open space.
Unlisted cottages off driveway entrance from Bootham removed and replaced with apartments.
Existing listed gatehouse reinstated as residential accommodation.
Potential café/pavilion proposed adjacent to reopened pedestrian access off Bootham.

The plan involves building on the Union Terrace car park. The coach park would be retained with a multi storey car park, constructed above it,containing 250 spaces. It is claimed that this change will improve access to the hospital site from the south and provide a better “gateway” appearance for a key route into the City centre.

The Council says, “York residents will now be invited to contribute further to the development of the masterplan, by giving their views on the proposals so far.

The Bootham Park Masterplan Consultation will launch in September 2019″.

NB. NHS Property Services have recently engaged in a failed commercial sale and continue to re-market the site.

A copy of the draft masterplan can be downloaded by clicking this link

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Bootham Park hospital sale confirmed

Will go on open market shortly

The government has confirmed that the empty Bootham Park hospital building and surrounding site will be sold on the open market.

There had been hopes in some quarters that the Listed building could be saved for some sort of community/health use.

A joint statement from Chief Executive of City of York Council, Accountable Officer at Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group and Chief Executive of York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was issued today.

“We have been notified by the Department of Health and Social Care that they plan to proceed with the sale of the Bootham Hospital site. 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.

“Our efforts certainly don’t end here. We will 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 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.”

Bootham Park Hospital

The future of the 240-year-old former mental hospital is under the spotlight as Ministers consider its future.

The building was taken out of service 4 years ago when a catalogue of defects were found by quality inspectors. These included rat infested cellars and collapsing ceilings.

The hospital was ordered to be closed in September 2015 when it was declared “unfit for purpose” A modern replacement facility is being provided.

The events surrounding the closure were heavily criticised in a York Council report which concluded that NHS Property Services “significantly underestimated the logistic and practical challenges of upgrading a Grade I listed building where shortcomings had been identified over many years”

Running costs on a building of this age are huge. Energy and repair costs represent a constant drain on owners.

Now the local MP says the building should reopen as an NHS facility. She says “key workers in the health health sector” should be accommodated there.

Really? Offering valued employees pre-Victorian housing standards will move us forward in some way?There is only very limited scope to build on other brownfield sections of the site

No costings for the “plan” are offered much less any source of funding. We are assured though that the open space on the site will be retained as an additional public “park”.

Converting the listed building into residential accommodation would be very expensive even if it was in sound structure condition.

It isn’t.

Costs would be measured in tens of millions. If such funding is available, then it is desperately needed to provide modern buildings for our ailing NHS.

Bootham Park is a valuable part of the heritage of the City. It’s Listed status means that it can’t be demolished. Planners could ensure that the parkland surrounding it is respected (although, in recent years, urban green space conservation hasn’t been the strong point of the York Council).

It is by no means certain that the private sector would want to acquire the hospital. The high modernisation costs would be the same for them as would ongoing running costs. Grade 1 listing means that only very limited physical changes could be undertaken.

But all options should be put on the table.

In the end, if a different use for the building is found, and this produces a substantial capital receipt for health providers in York, then this could most effectively be invested in modern facilities for patients and staff in the NHS.

And the local MP should stop posturing. She is too quick to blame developers of “luxury homes”, student flats and hotels for every challenge that faces the City.

Indeed, we would be in a pickle if developers did not want to invest in York.

New report confirms muddle & incompetence led to Bootham Park closure

A damming independent report into the closure of Bootham Park hospital, and the subsequent confusion for patients, has been published.

The report author John Ransford concludes,

“If all organisations had worked together in partnership to deliver a plan based on the needs of patients and local people, more suitable solutions would still have been difficult, but surely not impossible to achieve”.

The report heavily criticises the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group together with the former service provider the Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust.

The underlying criticism is of lack of leadership and “joined up” working across the many disparate organisations which are now responsible for health care in the City.

The issue will be considered by a Council committee when it meets on 25^th April.

Another report, by NHS England lists 18 areas where local health managers and contractors failed patients.

“Healthwatch” the patients watchdog also says that “closure of Bootham Park Hospital has been immensely stressful for many people involved and that the impact will continue to be felt for the months to come”.

NB. Following a Care Quality Commission inspection Bootham Park Hospital was closed for “safety” reasons on 1^st October 2015. Some outpatient facilities are being re-established there but it is likely to be 2019 before a new facility is opened to replace the 240-year-old former lunatic asylum