Major traffic improvements outlined under proposed £200m energy park plans
A multi-million-pound programme of improvements on one of Hull’s main
roads will be implemented if plans for a £200m energy park are given
the green light by planners.
The team behind the proposed Yorkshire Energy Park development, which
is due to be heard at East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s planning
committee within a matter of weeks, has revealed major traffic
improvements and flood resilience measures that will be implemented if
plans are approved.
The developers will be legally committed to deliver the
multi-million-pound programme of improvements to the A1033, which will
include additional lanes and signalling to five junctions. The
improvements will be delivered before the full business park becomes
operational.
Under the plans, new footpaths and cycle paths will be delivered to
improve access to Preston South and Hedon, encouraging footfall to local
shops and restaurants in a bid to increase trade. A financial
contribution will also be made to upgrade the South Holderness Rail
Trail, a cycle path which runs between Hull and Holderness.
In addition to the physical measures, a Travel Plan Coordinator will
be appointed to actively monitor and act on transport assessments, run
initiatives to encourage more sustainable methods of travel and
establish a cycle user group, lift-sharing and walk to work schemes.
The latest points set out under the plans come as Highways England,
the government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and
improving England’s motorways and major A roads, clarified its improved
position for East Riding of Yorkshire Council to the proposed Yorkshire
Energy Park.
In a letter on East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s planning portal,
Highways England said: “It can be concluded that at this stage that the
principles of what is trying to be secured for the application are
appropriate.
“We are not currently in a position to formally lift our holding
recommendation. However, we are sufficiently comfortable that the
application can now be taken to the planning committee.”
This confirmation from Highways England means that the detailed
conditions can be addressed after a planning committee decision is made,
which is standard practice for schemes of this scale at an outline
planning stage.
The letter from Highways England continues by saying: “Should the
committee be minded to approve the application, it can then be deferred
to officers to formally approve, who will then work towards agreeing on
the Conditions and Section 106. Once these are agreed then Highways
England will be in a position to replace the current holding
recommendation with a recommendation that should planning permission be
granted with conditions attached.”
In addition to highways improvements, improved land drainage will be
put in place, with the developed area of the Park storing enough surface
water to withstand a one in 100-year rainfall event, as well as 40%
climate change, through a network of ponds created on site.
The outline drainage strategy has been developed and approved with
the Environment Agency, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the
Internal Drainage Board (IDB).
The proposed development on the site of the former Hedon Aerodrome
will attract significant inward investment, with the ability to create
up to 4,480 jobs, including up to 2,090 full-time jobs across a wide
range of business sectors once the Park is built and operational.
If planning permission is granted by East Riding of Yorkshire’s
Council’s Planning Committee, Yorkshire Energy Park will include an
energy centre, data centre and disaster recovery suite, space for
established and start-up businesses, education, training and research
facilities alongside associated short-stay accommodation, an outdoor
building materials and testing facility, and sports facilities for the
community.
The clarification of Highways England’s position on the scheme
follows Natural England’s formal withdrawal of its objection to the
proposed scheme earlier this month. Natural England is the public body
which ensures the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed
for present and future generations.
Claire Harrison, Project Director for Yorkshire Energy Park, said:
“We fully acknowledge that any major development and job creation of
this scale will inevitably increase traffic.
“We have worked with Highways England and both local authority teams
for a number of years to ensure these plans are robust and do not have a
negative impact on such a strategically important road network.
“The highways plans not only take into account the proposed Yorkshire
Energy Park development, but also other potential developments which
will bring increased traffic; they are futureproofed for at least seven
years.”
The site proposed for the development of the Yorkshire Energy Park,
which is in the heart of the UK’s Energy Estuary, is the only available
area on the north bank of the Humber where a presence of a significant
connection to the National Grid exists, alongside a piped natural fuel
supply already on the site.
Due to this unique set up, reliable energy can be provided to
businesses on the energy park at significantly less than market rates.
Energy can also be sold back to the Grid.
Major businesses already interested in what the energy park has to
offer include E.ON Germany, Asanti Data Centres, Dell, electric scooter
consortium Eco Motion. Infrastructure funder Legal & General, has
also come out in support of the scheme as well as the backing of Humber
Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the region’s biggest business body,
Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), leading battery manufacturer BYD, SSE
and Hull College Group.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council will also benefit from £3.5m of business rates per year, once the Park is fully operational.
The Yorkshire Energy Park scheme is expected to be determined by East
Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee in the coming weeks.