Hull’s ambitious Lagoon project could “set the scene for a century of investment and development.”
The scheme, officially launched on Friday at a special event at The Deep, would include an 11km-long road built out into the Humber Estuary, providing a route for traffic travelling across Hull.
The creation of the four-lane road would enable an expansion of Hull’s port, providing vital new space for industry and business.
A calm water, non-tidal lagoon would also be formed on the inside of the road, creating space for leisure, recreation and lifestyle facilities.
Crucially, Lagoon Hull would provide a flood wall for the city along the whole length of the road.
As the Humber region gears itself up for one of the most challenging periods in its history, the £1.5bn proposal could play a vital role in tackling climate change, decarbonising industry and creating 14,000 new jobs.
Lord Haskins, chair at the Humber LEP, said: “The Humber region could be a shining example of how cities adopt themselves for a changing natural, economic and cultural world.
“The Lagoon Hull project would not just set the scene for the next century of investment and development in the region, it would make Hull one of the most exciting waterfront cities in Europe, possibly even the world.”
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The project has been launched ahead of a blockbuster month for business in the Humber.
November will see Hull play host to two major conferences – first, the two-day Energy & Clean Growth in the Northern Powerhouse at the Bonus Arena.
The event will examine how the Humber region and wider North of England must transition into a zero-carbon economy, through renewable technologies and innovation.
That conference will be followed weeks later by The Waterline Summit.
The summit, at Hull’s Bonus Arena, will be centred on the challenge of climate change.
Climate change is a major threat to the Humber as it is one of the coastal regions around the world officially listed as at high risk due to rising sea levels and increasing flood threat.
The Waterline campaign builds on the Humber’s established reputation as the 海角视频’s Energy Estuary – a brand created by Marketing Humber and adopted by politicians, investors and decision-makers.
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The vision supports the Humber Industrial Strategy, set to be unveiled next month, which is being developed by the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership.
It will focus on the region’s future as a leader in clean energy, and the Energy Estuary 2.0 initiative, led by the University of Hull, seeking to secure £36m of Government funding for low-carbon innovation.
Economic studies have suggested Lagoon Hull could boost the region’s economy by £1bn a year.
The project looks to tackle the threat posed by rising sea levels by creating a flood wall across the whole length of the city.
New port space created in Hull could also be used to further expand the region’s booming offshore wind and renewables industry – supporting the region’s push to become net-zero carbon by 2040.
Lagoon Hull also claims to have the potential to double the growth of GVA (Gross Value Added) in the region over the next decade.
The ambitious scheme – dubbed the biggest since the creation of the Humber Bridge - therefore plans to attract existing Government spending commitments which would be repurposed for the project.
A report by Highways England has suggested journey time savings alone of £300m would be realised by the new road, which will ease congestion on the A63 and around the city as well as improve air quality.
Dr David Richards, pro vice chancellor for research and enterprise at the University of Hull, said: “Transport infrastructure is critically important to the success of the region.
“The A63, in particular, provides a gateway to and from Europe. It is vital therefore, that we look at different and novel ways of trying to protect such routes from flooding - as was the case in 2013.
“This project has the potential to help alleviate traffic on the main arterial route in and out of the city, as well as offering a solution to the very real threat of flooding.
“The University has conducted outline flood model runs to explore the possible impact of the lagoon on tidal flows and flooding.
“Initial results show a range of net benefits to flood risk in the estuary both around Hull and landward towards Goole, but also highlight areas where additional, more detailed, work is required.”
A website has been set-up to enable people to show support for the project. Visit www.lagoonhull.co.uk for more information.
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Business Live's Hull & East Yorkshire journalist is Phil Winter, also the business editor at the Hull Daily Mail and Hull Live.
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