Town council seeking answers over resort housing blueprint

East Riding Council has produced a revised bueprint for a development of up to 500 new homes near Easton Road on the north-western fringes of the resort.

About 100 people attended a public exhibition of a draft version of the plan and 25 written responses were received after a four-week consultation.

But although East Riding Council is now confident it has got the framework right after amending the plan, it has not satisfied all the doubters, who have raised concerns including its impact on the environment, local services and facilities, and its viability.

The town council has called for further talks after raising a number of objections including the increase of sewage the development would create, pointing out that the main attraction of the resort is the sea and it has already lost its last Blue Flag because of pollution by sewage.

The town council wants existing facilities and services improved before any development is given the go-ahead.

Mayor of Bridlington, Coun Cyril Marsburg, added: “The facilities at the (town) hospital are not adequate to address the increase in population. We’ve got a wonderful hospital with no facilities and that’s what concerns us.

“We wonder about demand because a lot of houses around Bridlington are up for sale or rent. We’ve had problems with sewage being discharged and complaints from visitors and that’s another concern.

“We also feel it’s building on green belt land. We are not too happy about it.”

Other concerns from residents concern the impact of new houses on their properties and access to the development from the A165.

To address this the plans would see a signal-controlled T-junction created on the A165 to provide safe pedestrian crossing and control the flow of traffic.

One resident concerned about the potential impact on wildlife sent in photographs of great crested and smooth newts found in ponds at the site, and said other wildlife which has bred on the site this year includes linnets, goldfinch, yellow hammers, barn owls, reed warblers, foxes, badgers and deer.

He added: “I cannot protest enough as I am sure there are plenty of other locations in and around Bridlington where you can build without destroying our precious greenbelt.”

East Riding Council said the comments had been considered in producing the final version of the plan, and that biodiversity would be enhanced through retaining and enhancing the existing ponds, watercourses and hedgerows, and the planting of native species to create wildlife corridors. A habitat management plan would also be required as part of any planning application.

A report recommending the masterplan is adopted as supplementary planning guidance will be considered by East Riding Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday.

Concluding his report, Steve Button, the council’s director of policy, partnerships and improvement, said: “The masterplan demonstrates how a well designed scheme could be brought forward in order to make the most of the opportunities presented by this site and addresses the constraints that affect it.

“It aims to facilitate the development of the site by stimulating ideas and increasing certainty for developers as to the principles and parameters that the council will be seeking to secure through the development of the site.”

A council spokesman added: “The council has listened to the feedback from the public and made a number of changes, including making the access arrangements clearer, amending the amount and location of green space and landscaping and being less detailed on certain issues, such as the layout and density of housing.”