A SCHEME to tackle traffic congestion in Hull by building a 650 space Park & Ride facility at Hedon (in Preston South) may be back on if reports in the Hull Daily Mail are correct. The scheme would be funded via a new Humber regional transport board.
The scheme first proposed by Hull City Council in 2009 sought to construct a facility at the former Hedon airfield site that would include:
- A 650 space secure car park
- 25 cycle parking stands
- 6 motor cycle stands
- A terminus building
- High quality and bus services every 10 minutes to and from Hull
- Security on site and 24/7 CCTV coverage
- A new roundabout being built at the entrance to the site on Hull Road.
Hull City Council carried out a consultation exercise at the time which included an exhibition at the Hedon Town Hall in July 2009 where 90 people attended and 78 survey forms were completed. The findings from the consultation showed that an overwhelming majority agreed with the principle of a Park and Ride facility (90%) and its proposed location (82%).
However, a planning application on the scheme submitted to the East Riding Council in April 2010 was withdrawn after planning officers there recommended its refusal in a report.
The report presented to the East Riding Planning Committee at the time, cited the loss of greenfield open space between Hedon and Saltend as a key issue, which it said would contravene a previous decision to maintain an open area between these places. The same report also warned that building on the proposed site might jeopardise the nature and character of an important space, setting a precedent for the future which might eventually erode the space between Hedon and Saltend leading to their coalescence.
In the Hull Daily Mail article yesterday, Mike Ibbotson, a transport policy manager at the Hull Council, is quoted as saying the East Riding Council is now more “amenable” to the idea than it was before.
“There has been some resistance to it in the past but East Riding Council is now being much more co-operative over the idea. It has a large area of land allocated for industrial use to the south of this site towards Paull. As such, we think it’s a good time to negotiate because East Riding Council is being more amenable than it was before.
We have put a funding bid for the park and ride into the new transport board. It is our number one priority for the pot of money being devolved from the Government once the board is up and running. I do not think East Riding Council is standing in the way of that so long as it gets funding for some of its own transport schemes.”
This seems to indicate that the availability of the new transport funding, and the fact that local authorities will have to cooperate more on its expenditure, is likely to result in more compromises between Hull City and East Riding Council being reached. However, whether the planning process will be affected by this in any way, remains to be seen.
The old aerodrome site is situated between Saltend and Hedon between the main road and the former railway line, to the west of the Kingstown Hotel. It is owned by Hull City Council despite being in the East Riding and developments there requiring East Riding Council planning approval.
Hull Council purchased the land as a municipal airport in 1929. The airport was closed down at the beginning of World War II and made unusable to prevent enemy planes landing there. It never re-opened.
All very well and good saying 90% in favour of a scheme from 78 surveys in a town and area hedon’s size, but the buses still have to head into the congested part of hedon road, unless they route into the congested part of holderness road or route through the docks, again not a real option. There is a need to ease congestion and traffic, the issue regarding congestion on this side of town is castle street and victoria dock junction, the commuting and working transport and industry users of the road are being held up by crossing after crossing for one or two people to walk over castle street, spend the fee to consult on this park and ride idea on a walk way bridge , get the lights taken down and get people moving again, its strangling the economy, no wonder the melton and west of hull industrial units are growing and popping up, this side is stuck fast for hours each morning and evening. The cost of parking is another issue as is crime breaking into cars, the car parks near the river hull and on street parking either side of the river highlights people need cheaper options on town parking or better quicker access.
Noticed tonight that they are cutting the trees down on the central reservation of hedon road could neil not have a tram suspended or elevated down the middle or over the road way like in some european cities?
A monorail, what a great idea …i would be happy to visit Disney s in Florida on behalf of the council (as i know their all so busy) and complete a full consultation.
Regards opening the old railway back up, stations and parking wouldn’t really be needed as a tram system would operate like buses picking up as and when ,from stops , similar to bus stops , as the Sheffield system works. Alo i believe there is a plan to open up the old railway, although ive not seen any detail , what are there plans ???.
I think I remember John, Neil and I saying the same things last year, so again, why don’t they use the ABP land which Vivergo Fuels used as a park and ride for their construction staff now empty but there as an over flow for lorries, this is off Saltend lane below and south of the flyover at saltend ,easy access for vehicles in and out. I am sure if Hull City Council asked an agreement could be reached without developing green space. What about the land on the old Hedon Road Maternity Hospital site or Fenners.
I think its a ridiculous idea, and will fight tooth and nail to stop any development on airfield , including direct action if nessasary, Instead of wasting millions on park n ride and the new Hedon road which is already full of pot holes , why doesn’t someone actually look at the plan to open the old railway line back up, similar to the tram system in sheffield ran by the council , connecting all the villages from withernsea right to the town, this would be much kinder to the environment, and better on the eye and most of the route is still in place. would create lots of jobs both during the building of and afterwards running the service.
Cynical – moi?
So, hot on the heels of the proposal to build the bio-mass energy plant with its alleged 140 acres of greenhouses for cucumber growing, the city council drag out this old coughdrop again. Of course the principle of park and ride is great, and bearing in mind the growing number of vehicles piling into Hull city centre every day from our side, there is a need to consider placing one out here, but why must it be right slap bang in the middle of the only remaining ‘green belt’ between the industry on Hull’s eastern edge, and the town of Hedon.
Why? Simples! The land is owned by the city council, and they are desperate to get planning on there. The Local Plan consultation has just finished its consultation stage, and the airport land has been recommended by ERYC planners NOT to be earmarked for development during the lifetime of the Plan.
I just hope ERYC can withstand the considerable pressure Hull will bring to bear to get their way!
John Dennis
ERYC Ward Member for S W Holderness