Former Hull fish factory set for a new lease of life
A FORMER fish processing factory in Hull could be converted into a new base for wholesaler Bonus Electrical.
The company, which sponsors the Bonus Arena in the city centre, is looking to move into the former Smales factory in Witty Street in west Hull.
The long-established fish merchants shut the factory after closing its chilled seafoods division two years ago.
The move followed the loss of a major contract with supermarket chain Aldi.
The Witty Street factory was officially opened in 1992 by Princess Diana as a state-of-the-art fish processing facility.
Located off Hessle Road, once the beating heart of Hull’s fishing industry, it supplied fish and seafood to supermarket fish counters across the UK.
However, the factory closure in 2019 led to 95 redundancies.
Based in West Dock Street, Smales continues to supply around 25 per cent of the UK’S fish and chip sector and also supplies the food service sector.
Now a planning application has been submitted to Hull City Council to breathe new life back into the disused factory.
If given the go-ahead, the development would see the building being brought back into use as a warehouse and trade counter by Bonus Electrical.
In a design and access statement accompanying the application, project architects Janus Architecture say the new store would employ around 20 full-time staff.
It adds: “The scale of the building will remain as existing with only minimal alterations and demolitions taking place.
“A new HGV delivery point will be provided to the south with access off Rugby Street that already has a HGV turning head. The main car park area to the north will remain as existing.
“The proposal is for the site to be redeveloped into a warehouse and trade retail counter for Bonus Electrical who will also use the site as a new store to supplement their other stores around Hull.
“This site has been chosen as it has a central location with good transport links to the local highway network and motorway for main deliveries.”
Bonus closed its superstore in Willerby just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and is now an onlineonly operation.
The company has a head office and national distribution centre in Kingswood and a trade counter in Tower Street near The Deep.