A MAJOR scheme to provide more than 1,200 bedrooms for students in west Hull is set to go ahead.
Plans for a car-free waterfront village in Hull were put on hold in September after concerns were raised over how it will work.
The multi-million pound scheme is earmarked for the currently derelict eastern end of the city's former St Andrew's Dock.
Manor Property Group wants to build a series of apartment blocks around the site, demolish a number of empty dockside buildings and reopen the dock as a water feature.
But the plans for 1,231 bedrooms hit a stumbling block in the autumn when councillors raised concerns over safety with no car parking provision, meaning students would have to get to and from college or university by bike or on foot.
But a raft of new measures, including providing parking facilities, increasing the shuttle bus service and improving plans for a subway swayed Hull City councillors at yesterday's planning committee meeting.
The development will be granted planning permission, subject to approval by the city planning manager to ensure there is a legal agreement in place to provide adequate bus service provision, open space and recycling facilities.
But the time limit for the development to go ahead has been reduced from three years to two years.
Councillor John Fareham said: "This is a good development and I have no objection. But there is a fear this will be another case of planning permission granted for something that will never appear.
"The applicant has a number of sizeable developments which simply haven't appeared."
Councillor Terry Keal said: "The developer needs to put its money where its mouth is on this one."
The developer says it wants to promote cycling and walking by upgrading an existing pedestrian subway which links the site to the southern end of Hessle Road.
Project developer Phil Akrill said his company was behind a number of similar student-based schemes across the country.
He claimed the site could become Hull's answer to Manchester's Salford Quays by regenerating a unique waterfront location.
He said: "A lot has been said about safety but the emphasis of this development will be on safety.
"We want to design crime out of the area."
Mr Akrill said he also wanted to retain the landmark former Lord Line building on the dock and convert it into a hi-tech multi-media centre while turning another dockside building into the headquarters for his national student accommodation business.
