Bootham Park Hospital retirement complex plan approved

The original hospital building will be retained

Plans to turn a former psychiatric hospital in York into a retirement complex have been approved by councillors.

Enterprise Retirement Living (ERL) wants to create 172 accommodation units at Bootham Park Hospital.

City of York Council approved the plan despite concerns over the demolition of Grade II-listed parts of the building.

Bootham Park Hospital, which opened in 1777, was closed in 2015 after concerns were raised about safety risks.

Designed by architect John Carr, the main part of the building is Grade I-listed and will be retained under the plans. However, the Grade II-listed pauper wings, built in 1862, will be demolished together with the estate cottages.

Speaking at a Planning Committee meeting on Thursday the council's conservation architect, David Carruthers said it would cause "substantial harm", while councillor Katie Lomas said she was "not convinced" demolishing parts of the hospital was "the way that we put this site back into use".

Councillor Michael Pavlovic told the committee they were the "custodians of the heritage of the city" and voted against the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The site will be transformed into 172 accommodation units

Peter Martin, for ERL, said they had been unable to find a design which would retain the wings and said research had found they were not exceptional.

"Historic England and the conservation office agree with us that they weren't of sufficient merit to frustrate the larger, sustainable redevelopment of the site," he said.

He added there was a lack of assisted living accommodation for older people in York.

"There is clear evidence that living in an integrated retirement community reduces the need for care, the cost to social care providers and the NHS, and improves their quality of life," he said.

Public access to the parkland will remain

The scheme will also formalise public access to the parkland and create two football pitches, primarily for the neighbouring private Bootham School, with access for local state schools and the public.

A majority of committee members said the scheme was worth approving to safeguard the main building.

Councillor Tony Fisher said: "If we don't act soon and bring this back into use and get it updated, we could suffer harm to that building - which is the core building of the whole complex."

Fellow member Paul Doughty said what was proposed was better than "luxury apartments" or a "luxurious hotel".

"So this for me is probably the best we're going to get," he said.