Coventry Superhospital Decision – A statement by Councillor John Fletcher, Leader of Coventry City Council

"I am extremely disappointed with the Area Health Authority’s recommendation that the new hospital should be built at Walsgrave. It will be particularly bad news to the people of this city who overwhelmingly supported the new hospital being built in the city centre.

"All agreed at the meeting that the city centre option is do-able and deliverable. The only issue was affordability – and we were presented with a huge range of financial risks, which rated from £0 to £2,6 million per year.

"Since we are so close to achieving what the majority of Coventry people want, i.e. a city centre hospital, Councillor Dave Chater, a non-executive member of the Health Authority, suggested an independent external advisor could carry out an assessment of the financial risk a involved, which could be carried out in two weeks and would be based solely on information that is ‘on the table’.

"Unfortunately this proposal was rejected by the Health Authority. Cllr Chater’s resolution offered an ‘olive branch’ that would help bring us all together, but disappointingly this has not been taken up.

"This is a huge disappointment for the people of Coventry. A once in a generation opportunity has been lost."