Humber Bridge glass lift visitor centre plans rejected

Proposals for a visitor centre and glass lift at the Humber Bridge have been rejected by councillors.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council's planning committee voted against the scheme, which also included a hotel and restaurant overlooking the water.

It was thrown out because of concerns over a 60,000sqft office block which is part of the project. Councillors said they would consider a revised plan.

The Humber Bridge Board said it was still "pursuing the plan".

The proposal would have allowed visitors to travel under the bridge at Hessle in a glass gondola before changing to the lift which would have raised them 510ft (155m) to the top of the north tower.

'Extremely disappointed'

In a letter to the board earlier this month, Alan Menzies, the council's director of planning and economic regeneration, said officers would find it "difficult to justify new large scale office development in the open countryside, contrary to the town centre first approach advocated by national planning policy".

Mr Menzies had suggested: "If the large office building was to be withdrawn from the application then officers would then be in a position to support (in principle) the remaining elements of the scheme."

Planning officers subsequently recommended the plan be refused, which councillors agreed to do.

After the meeting, Rob Waltham, chairman of the Humber Bridge Board, said: "Whilst we are extremely disappointed with the decision today, we fully intend to pursue planning for the lift, hotel, visitor experience and office complex in order to create the visitor experience that will attract thousands of new visitors and jobs to the Humber area."