Together with the NHS the City Council owns most of the land in the area. The City Council believes that the additional land needed can be acquired and is currently negotiating to achieve this.

RELOCATION OF SERVICES WHILST THE NEW HOSPITAL IS BUILT

Keeping health services running if all services have to be relocated off the Coventry and Warwickshire site during the building of the new hospital is very important and Coventry Health Authority’s Consultation Document indicates how this will be handled.

"Conservatives in Coventry would prefer the City Centre option if the sums add up - the priority though must be a new hospital for the city." COUNCILLOR TIM SAWDON, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL

ATTRACTION OF A BROWNFIELD INNER CITY SITE TO PRIVATE SECTOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES

The City Council believes an inner city site is as attractive to the private sector PFI companies as the Walsgrave site. Geoffrey Robinson, Coventry North West MP who has detailed knowledge of this, has already contacted the big companies active in this kind of initiative, and confirms their interest.

POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL COSTS OF BUILDING AND RUNNING A CITY CENTRE HOSPITAL

Issues need to be clarified for both sites before any real conclusions about comparative costs can be made. But Coventry Health Authority is able and willing to meet up to £1 million each year in additional costs to support a City Centre hospital because it believes the benefit of centrally-located hospital services are worth paying for.

"Walsgrave Hospital has given wonderful service over the years but we need to think of the future not the past. A modern all-purpose hospital to serve the people needs to be where the people can most easily get to it - and for me that means the City Centre site. "Whatever the problems may be we need to overcome them - we owe it to future generations to get this absolutely right." IAN BOTTRILL, LEADER OF WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

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