Spurn gets go-ahead for wildlife visitor centre

The development is to house a visitor centre

A new £900,000 visitor centre has been approved at a nature reserve at the mouth of the Humber estuary.

The Spurn Point Visitor Centre is to be built on land to the south of village of Kilnsea, in East Yorkshire.

The original plans from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust were turned down in July.

However, amid angry scenes, an East Riding of Yorkshire Council meeting in Beverley has voted to go ahead with revised plans.

The council rejected the building in July, citing concerns over flooding and the visual impact.

Spurn lies at the mouth of the Humber estuary

The planned centre is to be sited at the top of the 3.5 mile (6km) long peninsula, which is located at the mouth of the estuary.

Spurn is only 160ft (50m) wide at some points and is home to seabirds and other wildlife.

In December 2013 a tidal surge in the North Sea swamped the land, damaging parts of the road which connects the tip of the point with the mainland.

The peninsula faces Cleethorpes and Grimsby across the estuary and is almost 30 miles (45k) from Hull on the East Yorkshire bank of the Humber.

The proposals have led to protests

The proposals had attracted hundreds of objections and protests from local residents complaining about the impact of the development on the village of Kilnsea and the surrounding area.