Scheme for hundreds of new homes could face rejection

Developer St Modwen wants to build up to 390 houses on open fields and grassland at Melton Park, close to the A63.

But villagers say it will lead to a “continuos urban sprawl” being created between Brough, Welton and North Ferriby.

The latest proposals, which 
also include a 50-bed care home and bungalows and sheltered apartments for the elderly, are recommended for refusal at a meeting in Beverley next Thursday.

Similar plans, but featuring up to 510 homes and a 100-bed care home were turned down last year, and are currently the subject of an appeal.

Residents are concerned that the boundaries between villages will be blurred, with North Ferriby Parish Council saying it will have a “serious negative impact on local character and identity”.

Welton Parish Council says Melton is designated a “rural village” and the scheme will “threaten the separation and identity of Melton and North Ferriby villages”.

Campaign group Save Our Ferriby has gathered 514 proforma letters, saying they were dismayed to see “yet another application for unwanted plans”. Other objectors include Hull Council, which says the site – part of a larger area identified for employment use – is “crucial” for meeting its aspirations to be a leader in the renewable energy sector.

The Humber LEP also said they couldn’t support the loss of a “key strategic employment site”. Land to the south of the site is potentially suitable for a wharf to be reinstated for bulk goods – which would be put at risk by a housing estate.

Planners say the benefits of the scheme would be “significantly and demonstrably outweighed” by “adverse” impacts, including the loss of a significant amount of employment land.