TENSIONS between the region's two councils have surfaced on the first day of a public hearing into long-term development policies in the area.
Overseen by independent planning inspector Simon Berkeley, the public examination of East Riding Council's Local Plan is expected to last until mid-November.
The plan maps out a raft of proposed land-use policies until 2029, covering issues such as creating thousands of new homes, economic development, the extraction of mineral resources and flood-risk measures.
At the opening day session, examining the overall basis of the plan, speakers from East Riding Council and Hull City Council set out their arguments over controversial development options close to the city boundary.
Under the plan's current proposals, Jon Palmer, East Riding Council's strategic development team leader, said his authority wanted to establish so-called Key Open Areas (KOA), not just between Hull and surrounding towns and villages, but across the county.
He said KOAs would act as a buffer between built-up areas and the countryside.
But Hull is set to challenge this stance over the next few weeks.
It has already made it clear it wants to be able to promote development on land it owns in the East Riding.
Under the proposed Local Plan policies, it could be almost impossible to secure planning permission on sites if they are given added protection under KOA status.
City council planning manager Alex Codd said his authority would be challenging the need for certain sites to be classed as KOAs, highlighting land at the former Hedon aerodrome.
He said this site would still retain a large element of open space under current development options for new housing and industrial use on it.
"I am struggling with the rationale of designating that particular site a Key Open Area," he said.
Mr Palmer did, however, highlight a crucial area of agreement between the two councils over future housing need in the East Riding.
He said the two authorities had agreed provision for at least 23,800 new homes to be built in the East Riding over the next 15 years.
Mr Codd explained the agreement was based on a phased approach to new housing development in the East Riding.
He said: "What is critical for the city is to have effective regeneration, particularly in west Hull, which can only be achieved by the controlled release of housing sites in the East Riding."
But Justin Gartfield, of planning consultant Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, claimed there was a "mismatch" between the policies of the two councils.
He said: "There is a mismatch between where Hull is going and where the East Riding assumes Hull is going, in terms of new housing completions."
Christopher Young, representing development firm St Modwen, also claimed there was no evidence to back the East Riding's contention that it had met a legal requirement to co-operate with Hull over the plan.
Planning consultant Jonathan Dunbarvin, of ID Planning, said there was a "disconnect" between the councils.
Issues at stake are important to us allThe Mail's Angus Young on the start of the East Riding Local Plan hearings. If you're looking for thrills and spills, Hull Fair will probably beat the public examination hearings into East Riding Council's Local Plan every time. But that's not to say the polite arguments expected to be laid out in some detail at County Hall in Beverley over the next couple of weeks will be dull. While some of the planning jargon might put some people off, the issues at stake are fairly important to all of us. Quite simply, the principle of most development in the East Riding between now and 2029 is likely to be determined across the tables of committee rooms two and three between now and mid-November. Most contentious will be some sites being put forward for new housing. The plan envisages at least 23,800 new homes are needed over the next 15 years. The question is: where to put them?• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
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