We were misled over pumping station plan, residents claim

People living on a Barratt development on Selset Way, Kingswood, were told the existing station near their homes would be demolished with pipes going underground. Instead a massive new building is proposed, at 51ft, nearly twice as high as some homes and as long as 10 houses side-by-side.

Pauline Cochran was among the first to move onto the estate, first called Waterside Park, now Vogue, and paid £174,950 for her home. She has been told 20 per cent could be knocked off its current value by the new building, and claims she was informed the station was going to be knocked down and the pipes put underground.

She told a Hull Council planning meeting: “That formed a lot of people’s decisions to buy on the estate. It had been billed as a lagoon, a nature reserve. It will be impossible to disguise with planting. Any view I have will be obliterated. It is a monstrosity in the middle of where I live.”

Amy Hedges who only moved in July, said her parents were concerned about the pumping station, but they were told: “Don’t worry, it’s all going underground.”

City planning manager Alex Codd told objectors at the meeting that they had been given “factually incorrect” messages, adding: “Unfortunately you have been misled.”

Planning committee chairman, Coun Sean Chaytor, said residents should take the matter up with the developer. A decision on whether to permit the £17m development was deferred for a month so Yorkshire Water can explain its intentions. The meeting was told the location was dictated by the fact all the surface water coming off the estate drains to that pumping station.

Yorkshire Water says it will instal Archimedes Screw pumps, which pump almost five times more quickly than existing diesel pumps, and will significantly cut the risk of surface water flooding. Once operating, the disused building will be demolished.

Barratt Yorkshire East sales director Paul Hogan said they had objected to the station’s appearance, adding: “We are very surprised that residents feel misled regarding Yorkshire Water’s plans for a new pumping station.

“We understand Yorkshire Water has gone to great lengths to advise the local and wider community and continues to keep them up to date throughout the process.”