I NOTE from Jim Whitfield's letter last week that he mentions the "double benefit" that comes to Beverley town from the decision to build the new hospital on Swine-moor Lane.

By this he means that Beverley Consolidated Charity has sold fields it owned to the Health Service and will use the money to increase its complement of Charity owned houses.

The windfall of money for Beverley Consolidated Charity is, as Mr Whitfield says, not relevant to the outline planning decision given to the NHS to put its new hospital on Swinemoor Lane.

Yet those who have followed the progress of the planning decision, as I have, will remember this benefit to Beverley Consolidated Charity mentioned again and again and always with the disclaimer about the issue not being relevant to the planning permission being sought.

Outline planning permission for the hospital was given for the Swinemoor Lane site despite its being known to be in a high flood risk zone, despite the weight of traffic on Swinemoor Lane and despite the adverse consequences on Swinemoor ecology.

Now, the point of all the planning work was to choose the best site for the new hospital. There were credible sites to choose from, such as near the new ambulance station. The desire to get this so called "double benefit" means that the residents of the East Riding get their new hospital in the wrong place, in consequence.

GDO'CaUaghan
Napier Close
Beverley