War of words over benefits that Humber Bridge tourist attraction will bring

LETTERS ENCOURAGING residents to back plans to build a tourist attraction, hotel and offices at the Humber Bridge are “misleading”, according to opponents.

The letters are being delivered to about 1,000 residents in Hessle, claiming the plans will attract 240,000 visitors a year, create an estimated 412 full-time jobs and give the economy a £16.4m boost.

It comes after town councillors rejected plans for two office blocks and a 60-bedroom hotel in the bridge’s car parks as part of a multi-million pound scheme to create an attraction called The Lift, which would offer a ride to the top of the bridge in a glass gondola.

The letter from the Bridge Board claims the plans – which have yet to get planning permission – will “add significantly” to the area’s reputation and form “a major part” of the legacy of City of Culture 2017.

It claims the hotel will give visitors a stopping-off point to explore the area while the office complex is earmarked as a headquarters of “a major national company”. It ends by asking for support for the project “in its entirety”.

But while many locals welcome The Lift, there are concerns over the hotel and offices.

Town councillor David Nolan said the letter was “misleading” as it did not mention a loss of parking spaces or charges for commuters and visitors who currently park for free. Nor did it talk about the impact of 120 commuters’ cars being shunted to neighbouring roads.

The Friends of the Humber Country Park’s chairman, Richard Jennings, said he was worried that doubling the number of visitors to the park “could cause an ecological collapse”, and added: “They insist they will only build The Lift if a huge office development and three-storey hotel receives planning permission at the same time. This is in spite of the fact ticket sales for The Lift are expected to be £40m in the first 10 years. So why can’t they build The Lift without the commercial development?”