money sought to fund attraction

The River, which would be home an exotic array of plants, birds, mammals and reptiles, would be built on a dry dock on the opposite bank of the River Hull to The Deep.

Plans for the 13m attraction suffered a setback earlier this month when The Deep’s management, which came up with the idea, said they could not lead efforts to secure funding for the project.

It was hoped the development of The River would kick-start the regeneration of the run-down former Fruit Market further along the waterfront.

Hull Forward, which now owns about 75 per cent of the buildings, remains committed to its long-term goal of transforming the former market into a residential area with a mixture of caf bars, speciality shops, restaurants and hotels.

It is hoping to let some of the empty buildings to artists in the mean time.

Hull Forward chief executive John Holmes said the project remains an outstanding opportunity. “We intend to continue pursuing potential funding options, particularly as the property and investment market picks up over coming years. Clearly, this project would play a vital role in the redevelopment of the historic Fruit Market.”