Major plan could '˜breathe new life' into Hull city centre

Artists impression of King Edward Square in Hull redevelopment. AFL Architects

Hull City Council has today revealed details of its hopes for the development of Albion Square, focusing on suggestions for a new ice rink, shops, housing and leisure, all set around an enclosed courtyard. And the plans also confirm an ambition to retain the 1963 Italian glass mosaic Three Ships mural by Alan Boyeson, a monument that has attracted enormous public support since the closure of BHS.

“The Albion Square scheme alone would be worth around £130m to the local economy, providing much-needed jobs for local people, alongside regenerating a area of the city centre that has been neglected for many years,” said Coun Martin Mancey, portfolio holder for economic investment and regeneration. “It would also help to further strengthen the retail and leisure offer of the city centre as whole, and in turn attract greater footfall and spend to the city centre.”

The plans see potential for a newly built ice-arena, with the existing one on Kingston Street possibly redeveloped into city centre housing to fund this or further development elsewhere.

The development brief also outlines proposals for 257 shops, 12,000m of retail space, and a car park with up to 626 spaces. This, along with the redevelopment of Kingston House, the refurbishment of New Theatre and opening of the university technical college, could “breathe new life” into the area Coun Mancey said, stressing that investment was dependent on ensuring private sector confidence in the city centre.

A report is now to go to the council’s cabinet in October seeking approval to market the scheme to developers, and proposals for assembling the site.

It comes as hundreds of traders and business people call on the council to reject an out-of-town retail development which they say would threaten the regeneration of the city centre.

Plans are set to be considered over the development of 10 shops and either cafes or restaurants on land adjacent to the Next store at Kingswood. Now, after a petition set up by the Hull Business Improvement District (BID), more than 250 people from 200 organisations have added their backing to calls for it to be refused.

“The city centre is starting to turn a corner, but many businesses are still struggling and the recovery is very fragile,” said Kathryn Shillito, for Hull BID. “They are now very worried that this development will halt the recovery of the city centre in its tracks by diverting much-needed investment and taking vital footfall away from the heart of the city.”