‘Delivering real change’ | Q&A with Raife Gale

Ahead of the inaugural East Yorkshire Development Update in May, Place Yorkshire spoke to Muse’s senior development manager about ECF’s work on East Bank Urban Village, one of the regeneration schemes underway in Hull that will deliver around 850 new homes.

The new neighbourhood will be located to the east of the River Hull opposite the old town, and will comprise apartments with commercial space on the ground floors, among a network of pedestrian-friendly streets, plazas, and green spaces.

What stage are the plans for the East Bank Urban Village at and when do you expect to hit milestones such as achieving planning permission and starting on site?

ECF was selected as Hull City Council’s preferred development partner in February this year following a competitive tender process. The next steps are to work through final clarification points prior to the completion of the legal agreement and to refine and finesse the masterplan that was proposed as part of the bid.

We’re looking forward to developing this in partnership with the Council, prior to pre-applications with the Planning Authority and community consultation.

When Homes England launched the procurement process, what made ECF excited about the project and decide to go for it?

Projects like the East Bank Hull don’t come along every day, with the quality of the waterfront site and the impact it will make on the city, it’s an incredibly exciting project to be involved in.

Directed by a bold vision and strong leadership from the council to deliver at scale in 850 homes, we’re not only regenerating a brownfield, largely vacant site in the city, but playing a vital role in helping to achieve the council’s
aspiration for 2,500 new homes within Hull city centre.

Beyond that, it’s also an opportunity to rebalance the city by bringing families and activity back to the east side of the River Hull.

Can you give us an outline of how you went about designing the masterplan for the development, in terms of what you wanted the scheme to include for residents?

There were a number of challenges to overcome with the shape and position of the site, but also tremendous opportunities. At its heart was how we create a vibrant new urban village that will act as a catalyst for further urban renewal within Hull and help increase investor confidence in the city.

The first fixed point was the target of 850 homes outlined by the council, which drove a requirement for some height to fit on to what becomes quite a narrow site at parts. So, to promote a pedestrian friendly, family atmosphere we knew we needed to create an interconnected network of streets, plazas and green spaces developed alongside ground floor commercial uses to deliver the required amenities.

This is centred around the drypool dock, which provides a natural focal point and an exciting opportunity to deliver green/blue space with incredible public realm. This is also complemented by a refurbished Buoy Shed, which is a
grade two-listed building in the heart of the scheme, that we hope will provide civic and commercial uses to serve the community.

Initial CGI of the East Bank Urban Village scheme in Hull. Credit: HCC

Do you anticipate this project leading to more development opportunities in Hull? Is Hull an exciting place to be involved in at the moment?

Our focus is on East bank Hull and ensuring that this is a catalytic site for the area. Done successfully, this will open up further regeneration for the city, which is something we have a strong track record in achieving across the UK. Within the bid itself, the Council has already highlighted a wider zone of influence to the east of the site, and this offers further immediate opportunities, so yes, this is a reason to be excited for the people of Hull.

How much input has the council had into the plans?

Well the masterplan was in response to the brief and parameters that the council created, so they have very much set the tone. They have also been able to review and critique the proposed masterplan as part of the evaluation process. As we move forward, the Council will be intrinsically involved in the progression of the masterplan as will the public through the consultation process and we’re looking forward to working in partnership with both.

What are the main challenges when working on a major regeneration project, such as this one?

Honestly, in most cases it comes down to viability. However, in this case we have a huge number of positives, including a largely vacant site under the Council’s ownership, existing significant heritage assets that enhance the scheme and a very proactive and forward-thinking partner in Hull City Council.

And more cheerfully, what is the best part about working on schemes such as this one?

Delivering real change and watching it grow and evolve over time.

Gale will be speaking at East Yorkshire Development Update in May on a panel about regeneration in Hull, held at @TheDock Tech Campus on 15 May.