Developer loses in wrangle over homes on Birds Eye site

Birds Eye Iglo Group wanted to build as many as 260 houses on the site off Hessle Road, in west Hull, which was cleared last year.

A planning committee meeting at Hull's Guildhall earlier this year heard from residents backing the housing proposals, as they feared more industrial premises being built next to their homes. Developers told councillors told to be "pragmatic" as plans for a business park would never materialise.

However a majority of councillors disagreed, including Councillor Tom McVie, who branded the proposals a "disgrace".

Now planning inspector Christopher Millns has backed the city council and rejected Birds Eye Iglo Group's appeal.

Mr Millns agreed with planning officers, saying the only other available sites in the "western corridor" of significant size were Priory Park, which had 13 hectares remaining, the Beacon, with around three, and the Birds Eye site.

The council said take up in the past decade exceeded 20 hectares. Mr Millns said: "I have seen no convincing evidence to suggest that it would be wise to plan for less, particularly at a time when it is hoped the economy is emerging from recession."

He said there would be a serious risk that using the site for housing would be to the "significant detriment" of future jobs in the area.

Coun McVie welcomed the decision.

He said: "We have to protect the interests of the entire city in the future and as the inspector has recognised we are running out of large sites for future jobs.

"If I have anything to do with it we will never put anything there other than clean, modern, environmentally-friendly industry. When industry picks up we will be wanting to attract major employers to the city.

"If we put houses everywhere, where will people get the jobs to pay for the houses?"

The shutdown of the Birds Eye plant, which employed as many 600 people, was announced in January 2007, two months after Unilever sold the company to venture capitalists Permira in a 1.16bn deal.

The site opened in 1967 to produce fish fingers, fish cakes and frozen peas.