YORK’S Bootham Park Hospital, one of the first purpose-built mental hospitals in the world, was gifted to the people of York in 1777.

It is once more a pioneer - now at the forefront of plans to sell off NHS prime property assets.

Consultation with the local population about the future of mental health services in York revealed the site of Bootham Park Hospital to be the preferred option for inpatient care.

This preference is being ignored in favour of a site previously used for engineering works, with an uncosted contamination risk - a brownfield site subject to flooding and poorly served by public transport.

Who made the decision and with what authority?

Is this decision simply a device to release a property of immense commercial value for sale in the open market – anticipating the recent Naylor report?

What guarantees do we have that its full market value will be realised for the benefit of the people of York who own it?

Sheena Foxwell, On behalf of Defend Our NHS York, Wigginton, York