A number of local residents spoke against the plans
Plans for a new apartment block at Victoria Dock have been refused by Hull City Council. The block would have been built on the North East corner of the roundabout Plimsoll Way / South Bridge Road roundabout.
The application before the committee was for a four storey residential block housing 23 apartments, having been reduced from 24. An application had previously been approved on the site for a mixed use residential and retail site housing a number of commercial units with 12 apartments on the upper floors.
Speaking at the committee meeting, the applicant told councillors that the previously approved mixed use proposal is now “less viable.” Explaining this, the applicant said: “Since the original permission was granted, the economic circumstances affecting the viability of commercial floor space have changed significantly.”
The application was recommended for conditional approval by the council’s planning department. The approval would have been subject to a legal agreement including a £22,822 open space contribution, a biodiversity net gain offsite and monitoring contribution, and an affordable homes contribution.
The application was discussed at the planning committee after having been ‘called-in’ by Drypool ward councillor Diana Hatcher, the chair of the planning committee. “I would normally be chairing this but there is a bit of a conflict of interest as I don’t think it’s a suitable application,” Cllr Hatcher told the committee.
Due to this perceived conflict, Cllr Hatcher sat out of the debate and vote, instead speaking as an objector. “I think the rationale for approving this from the planning department seems to be that ‘ok, it’s got existing planning permission, so we’ll just push this through’,” she said.
As well as sharing her views, Cllr Hatcher also spoke on behalf of her ward colleague, Cllr Linda Chamber, who could not attend the meeting. Cllr Chamber’s letter, which was read aloud by Cllr Hatcher, claimed the development “is not suitable for this site,” adding, “it would completely alter the character and appearance of this area.”
The planning officer’s report on the application stated that 90 letters/email of objection had been submitted against the application. These raised issues such as the proposed building’s size, a loss of green space, and parking concerns.
Some of the objectors to the plans spoke at the council’s planning committee. Speaking at the meeting, one concerned local resident said: “Having looked at the plans, it looks as though our bedrooms will be seen into from the upper floors of this premises, which is a privacy issue for us. All three of our bedrooms look out onto the planned building.”
Another objector said: “I only moved onto Victoria Dock six months ago, I wasn’t aware of anything like this going on.” Adding: “If I was, I might have thought twice.”
Despite officer’s recommendations for approval, councillors voted to refuse the plans. The committee were unanimous in their rejection. During the planning committee councillors also voted against plans for a new McDonald’s in East Hull.
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