IT is with mixed emotions that I welcome the news that York is to have a new hospital in Haxby Road in 2019 providing specialist treatment for people with mental ill-health (The Press, June 16).

While the return of a permanent hospital will ease the problems and pressure caused by placing people in hospitals outside the area, I am disappointed that the clear public preference for the hospital to be built in the grounds of the site of the existing Bootham Park Hospital has not been considered the most practical of the options.

There have quite rightly been questions too about the number of beds planned for the new hospital and it is positive that this has been considered and increased, with 72 beds being 12 more than initially suggested.

There is an expectation that improvements in community services will assist.

While hopeful this will happen, I will use my role as chair of health overview and scrutiny to monitor progress and continue to seek the assurance residents need that the new hospital will provide the modern, accessible and effective service we have been promised for so long.

Cllr Paul Doughty, Conservative, Strensall ward, Chair, health, housing and adult social care policy and scrutiny committee, City of York Council