SMALL quantities of asbestos have been uncovered at the site of the new Wharfedale Hospital in Otley.

Traces of brown and white asbestos were uncovered during routine testing of demolition rubble at the site at Newall Carr Road.

The asbestos will now be removed by a specialist and a Leeds City Council monitoring station will be set up to make regular soil sample checks.

Work on the new £14 million hospital was due to start in May but has been delayed because the trust has yet to sign the final agreement with its Private Finance Initiative Partner.

Last week, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust stressed that everything was on track and that the contract with HBG Projects was expected to be finalised very soon.

Now, the trust has played down the discovery of asbestos which it describes as quite normal for a site occupied by an old building.

A trust spokesman said: "It was not a surprise. It was very likely that a building built in that era would have asbestos in it.

"This is not a setback, it is just one of the things that the trust has to cope with."

Leeds City Council finally gave planning permission for the part three storey and part four storey building, next to the current hospital in Newall Carr Road, last month. Councillors had been concerned about the choice of materials and how the building would look next to the listed former workhouse.

Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Otley and Wharfedale) said it was disappointing that the hospital should be delayed right at the last minute.

"Investigation of ground conditions is fundamental to any building project of this size and I am amazed that this was not sorted out months ago.

"We keep getting these rather vague reassurances from the hospital trust that everything is going well and it is just a question of finally endorsing the business plan or signing this or signing that.

"There are an awful lot of people in Otley who believe there will be a new hospital when they see one - and given the history of prevarication and delay who can blame them for their scepticism?"

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "During routine testing of existing demolition rubble on site, very small amounts of trace quantities of brown and white asbestos have been discovered.

"Discussions have taken place involving the contractors on site, a registered asbestos specialist officers of the council to manage the situation. It is intended to remove the material from site for proper disposal, with the minimum of disturbance. A programme of monitoring the works has been agreed with the council that will include the setting up of a laboratory on site to regularly check soil samples as a precaution."