A NEW psychiatric hospital for York came a step nearer last night when councillors approved its construction.

But members of the city council's planning committee called for extra safety measures on the road outside the proposed site on Haxby Road as they gave it planning permission.  

The NHS Trust responsible for mental health provision in York proposes to open it in 2019.

The hospital will have 72 beds in four separate wards, providing treatment for 18 men and 18 women needing acute care, and 36 beds for older people with dementia.

Cllr Christina Funnell said: "Wherever it is put in York there are going to be transport issues.  If we can find a way of solving that we will.  Let's get on with it. 

York has been without a psychiatric hospital since the sudden closure of Bootham Park Hospital in 2015.

Since then, the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) has provided services at Peppermill Court, Meadowsfields, Acomb Gables and Cherry Tree House.

Cllr Ian Cuthbertson told the committee he regularly saw dangerous situations on Haxby Road, which has a 40 mph speed limit where the hospital will be built. 

People travelling to the hospital by bus will have to cross the road and there is only a short piece of pavement on one side. 

Possible solutions suggested by councillors included a lay-by for the bus to stop and a pedestrian crossing. 

Ruth Hill, TEWV’s director of operations for York and Selby, said “People across the Vale of York deserve to have access to the best possible mental health care and this includes having a state-of-the-art hospital.

“The Haxby Road site has the space and layout we need to build a purpose designed hospital, that will support 21st century care and I’m delighted that planning permission has been granted.

In addition to the wards, the hospital will provide an intensive home treatment team base, care home liaison, a crisis intervention service for older people, an electro convulsive therapy suite.

It will also have facilities to enable police to take people with mental health problems to a “place of safety” instead of to a police cell.

When fully operational, the hospital will employ the equivalent of 225 full time clinical personnel and administrative and support staff. The site is between Haxby Road and the River Foss.