‘Iconic’ Hull footbridge plan could delay road scheme

HOPES of building an “iconic” footbridge over Hull’s busiest road at 10 times the cost of the original proposal could delay the city’s most important transport scheme, a report has warned.
Councillor Martin ManceyCouncillor Martin Mancey
Councillor Martin Mancey

The Highways Agency is consulting over the proposed £160m upgrade of the A63 at Castle Street, which carries 35,000 vehicles a day and links the city centre, docks and ferry terminal with the motorway network.

The scheme aims not only to ease congestion, but also to create improved pedestrian access from the city centre to the marina and waterfront – seen as vital to enabling the city to realise its economic and cultural potential.

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But a report setting out the city council’s proposed official response describes the “standard” footbridge that would replace two signal crossings on the dual carriageway near the Holiday Inn as the main area of concern, and the council is instead pressing for an “iconic” bridge that would become a landmark in its own right.

Other concerns include the creation of a pedestrian and cycle bridge at Queen Street/Market Place, which is described as “unnecessarily intrusive” and would “spoil” views of the Old Town.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has asked the Highways Agency to work with the authority to address concerns about the need for the “iconic” bridge, and new designs are expected to be presented within a fortnight.

But the report, which goes before the council’s cabinet next week, said: “Any significant departure from the current approved scheme could delay the statutory planning process and cause the scheme to miss the available funding window; therefore the city council needs to work with the Highways Agency to refine the existing scheme.

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“It is extremely unlikely that all of the issues raised by the many interested parties will be fully satisfied and therefore inevitably there will need to be some degree of constructive compromise to deliver any improvement scheme.”

The council called the scheme “urgent” ahead of a visit by Mr McLoughlin to the site in May.

However, Coun Martin Mancey, portfolio holder for transport,
energy city, strategic planning and transport, said he was
confident the scheme would go ahead.

He said: “My own view, and it’s shared by officers, is that even if that bridge costs 10 times as much the overall impact on the affordability of the whole project is extremely small.

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“It’s an absolutely essential requirement to have a quality bridge that can take pedestrian movements over to what will hopefully be a redeveloped fruit market and an illustrious [David] Hockney gallery.”

He added: “I’m quite sure the scheme will go ahead. I would be extremely worried about missing the next round of funding, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.

“The last time I met Patrick McLoughlin he certainly recognised the importance of the iconic bridge.”

The report also warns of the “very real possibility of flooding” of the works during construction, and says “difficult decisions” will have to be made over whether to accept “serious” delays to shorten the length of the overall “pain” of the project, or to minimise the impact but accept it will take longer to complete .

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