Plans for York’s historic Bootham Park Hospital site have finally been revealed.
Luxury retirement apartment buildings will be built at the site, after the NHS identified a private developer as its preferred purchaser.
But York residents will be welcome to spend their money in a new cafe, at an occasional pop-up cinema and a temporary market, as well as use a ‘picnic area’ on the grounds in front of the former hospital building.
Developers Enterprise Retirement Living (ERL) are planning to turn buildings at the site into 170 luxury retirement homes with a shared exercise centre, cinema, games room and fruit and vegetable garden.
They plan to open a cafe, which would be open to the public. Under the plans a pop-up outdoor cinema “could occasionally be placed on the land in front of the hospital”.
A walkway would be created around the site, there would be a picnic area, and an edible garden and a sensory garden built on the Grosvenor Terrace side of the land.
A temporary market selling crafts or food could be set up and a woodland play area for children will be created.
The chapel will continue to be used by the NHS and the grounds will still be available as a landing spot for the air ambulance.
The footpath and cycle route between Bootham and York Hospital would be improved.
Lots of apartments
A new block of accommodation would be built between the chapel and Union Terrace car park. Apartments would also replace the existing estate cottages.
The Gate Lodge will be renovated and turned into a private home.
Pitches on the land in front of the former hospital could be used by schoolchildren and sports clubs, with the developer saying they are working with City of York Council and Bootham School to make sure the grounds are maintained.
Peter Martin, from ERL said: “We are excited to be launching our plans for the sensitive redevelopment of a well-known landmark in York.
“We pride ourselves on developing quality retirement communities that will provide much needed retirement homes in York.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to sustainably bring this site back to life and we would encourage as many people as possible to visit the website and provide their comments on the plans.
“Our proposals have been heavily informed by the previous consultation with the community that has taken place on this site and the development brief that the council published following this engagement activity.
“Our aim is to not only preserve the key heritage assets at Bootham Park but to also create a new community that will help to eradicate loneliness for our residents.”
What the NHS says
Built in 1777 and Grade I listed, the main hospital building closed in 2015.
There was a huge campaign to save and develop the public site as a community asset, involving City of York Council and York Central MP Rachael Maskell.
But this was snubbed by NHS Property Services, who sold it to ERL in March 2020. Much of the site is listed, including areas inside the buildings.
David Elstob, from NHS Property Services, said: “Our decision to work with ERL is based on a number of factors, not least finding a suitable, sustainable and viable future use for the site which best protects these historic buildings.
“It is also important that the local community benefits from these proposals and we are particularly pleased that public access through the site is being maintained and that sports pitches on the hospital field will also be accessible to local primary schools.”
View the plans and have your say at boothampark.co.uk