Plans for £32m out-of-town Hull retail park rejected
Kier GroupPlans for a £32m expansion of an out-of-town retail park have been rejected.
Councillors voted 6-4 against a proposal to build 10 shops on a site at Kingswood in north Hull.
More than 250 stores based in the city centre signed a petition objecting to the plan claiming its approval would damage their businesses and affect planned redevelopment of the central area.
Developers Kier Property Group said it would appeal against the decision.
Kathryn Shillito from Hull BID, which promotes the city centre, said approval of the Kingswood development "would be another nail in the coffin".
"We want to keep the footfall in the city centre," she said.
"We're here to represent city centre businesses who have invested time, money, energy, for decade.
"Anything that claws footfall away from them is a real threat."
'Vibrancy of Hull'
Tom Gilman, managing director of Kier Property in the north, said he was "extremely disappointed" and "really upset" at the refusal.
He denied the development would affect city centre shops.
"We're not trying to compete with those people," he said.
"We're trying to add to the vibrancy of Hull. Bring this investment, bring further jobs, bring further regeneration."
