Park gates to be opened to vehicles after vote

Cars would drive one-way along the road with space for 70 cars parallel parked, four accessible bays and a car park with 46 spaces

Vehicles will be given access to Hull's East Park again after a four-year ban following a vote by the council.

The park's main gates will be open to motorists along with a 1148ft (350m) stretch of road close to the Holderness Road entrance.

Sarah Barley, a Hull resident who set up a petition to keep the park free from cars, said it was a "very sad day".

The park was originally closed to traffic during the coronavirus pandemic in a bid to get people to stay active.

The revised plans for East Park

Hull City Council said all designs would see a Road Safety Audit and Equality Impact Assessment to ensure the park is inclusive for all users.

It would lead to a further car park with 26 accessible spaces and would be linked to East Park's cafe by a path.

A council consultation of those living near the park showed 61% objected to their reopening, while 20% supported it and 9% were undecided, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The petition set up in December 2023 to keep East Park a car-free zone reached 1,525 supporters online.

'Missed opportunity'

Ms Barley, who set up the petition and lives opposite the park, said: "It bucks the trend which other forward thinking cities in the rest of the country are making to protect our precious inner city green spaces.

"It was a fantastic opportunity to enhance an environment which has flourished for all park users and the wildlife that lives there."

"It is a very sad day and a missed opportunity," she added.

She said plans for more disability-friendly parking were "great and welcomed".

Andrew Brady, 43, a Hull resident who lives 10 minutes away from the park, said he had campaigned on behalf of the community to keep the park car-free.

He said the planned changes would "likely lead to a net reduction in accessibility for disabled residents, including those who are blind and partially sighted".

"They will now have to worry about dodging traffic on entering East Park", he added.

Works are estimated to cost around £100,000 and a contract has been put out to tender.