Planning approved for £17m residential scheme in Hull’s Fruit Market

Planning approval has been given for more than 100 new homes in Hull’s regenerating Fruit Market.

Hull City Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to grant consent, subject to conditions, for 109 one, two and three bedroom homes arranged in mews style around private courtyards, forming part of a newly-created urban village.

Mostly townhouses, the new homes will be arranged over two and three storeys, blending traditional and contemporary styles using different bricks, design details and colours to create what the scheme’s architects have described as “a modern and visually stimulating interpretation of the history and heritage of the Fruit Market”.

The £17m residential development will be located across four blocks – three of them are bounded by Queen Street, Humber Street and Blanket Row, while the other is to the north of Blanket Row, on land bounded by Finkle Street, Queen Street and the A63 Castle Street.

The plans feature the reintroduction of two historic squares, Scott’s Square and Horner’s Square, which were previously demolished in the area. Restoring these squares will create pedestrian links between the new homes and the centre of the Fruit Market in Humber Street.

The approved application also includes the rebuilding of four commercial units fronting onto Humber Street, either side of Horner’s Square, which will be suitable for small retail units, restaurants or cafés.

The plans were submitted by Wykeland Beal, the joint venture company formed by regeneration specialist Wykeland Group and residential developer Beal Homes to rejuvenate the Fruit Market, working in partnership with Hull City Council.

Work is expected to begin on the first properties early next year and the full residential development is planned to be delivered by the end of 2019.

Richard Beal, chairman and managing director of Beal Homes, said: “Creating a new residential community is an essential element of making the Fruit Market a vibrant, sustainable and successful area and approval of this planning application is another major milestone in this hugely exciting regeneration project.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the planning committee for their support for these plans. We will now focus on working with the council to discharge the planning conditions and we look forward to delivering a distinctive development of exceptional quality of which the city can be very proud.”

Wykeland Beal had already received more than 600 expressions of interest in the Fruit Market properties before last weekend and this number increased by almost 100 more as a result of visits to a pop-up marketing suite in Humber Street during the Freedom Festival.

Mr Beal added: “The level of interest is very high indeed, with people making contact from all over the country, partly as a result of the profile from Hull being UK City of Culture in 2017, as well as locally.

“It’s very encouraging that more than two thirds of the enquiries are from people who want to live in the Fruit Market, rather than seeing it as an investment opportunity. There is a real buzz around the regeneration of the Fruit Market and people really want to be part of it.”

Garry Taylor, city major projects and infrastructure manager for Hull City Council, added: “The regeneration of the Fruit Market is an integral part of Hull’s plans to become a world-class visitor destination and is already proving itself with events like Humber Street Sesh and the Freedom Festival highlighting how popular the area is becoming.”

As well as new homes, the £80m transformation of the Fruit Market also includes new and refurbished commercial, retail and leisure space centred on Humber Street.

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