Spurn wildlife visitor centre opens despite objections

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust hopes its visitor centre at Spurn Point will attract tens of thousands of people to the area each year

A £900,000 visitor centre has opened at a nature reserve on the mouth of the Humber estuary, despite objections from campaigners.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's (YWT) Discovery Centre at Spurn Point opens to the public on Friday.

Campaigners said they were concerned about the visual and environmental impact of the centre, which is near Kilnsea, East Yorkshire.

The trust said it was the "best way to protect Spurn and its wildlife".

The centre was officially opened by wildlife photographer Simon King at a special event on Tuesday.

Wildlife photographer Simon King officially opened the centre

Martin Standley, from the Spurn Liaison Group, said 2,800 people were against it and he described the centre as "a disaster for wildlife" and residents.

He said YWT did not show enough care for the environment during its construction.

In a blog posting, he wrote: "A flower meadow has been lost, wildlife has been continually disturbed while it has been built, excavations have disturbed hibernacula for protected species (lizards), nesting habitat has been destroyed."

Rob Stoneman, chief executive of the trust, said: "It's a genuine privilege to be custodians of this special place and we have a duty of care to both preserve the sensitive, diverse and wildlife-rich habitats whilst also keeping visitors safe."

Spurn is a 3.5 mile (6km) long peninsula, which lies at the mouth of the Humber estuary

The trust's original plans for the centre were turned down in July 2016 by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, citing concerns over flooding and the visual impact.

But last year, the authority approved the trust's revised plans amid protests from local residents.

Spurn is a 3.5 mile (6km) long peninsula, which is located at the mouth of the estuary, and only 160ft (50m) wide at some points. It 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 connecting it with the mainland.

Residents protested against the trust's plans to open a visitor centre at Spurn