Flats to be demolished despite campaigners fight

Plans to demolish three empty blocks of flats in Hull have been approved, despite a campaign to save them.

Henson Villas in Pearson Park were built in the 1950s and initially offered as homes for single women.

An attempt to protect the buildings by adding them to the city's Local Heritage List was rejected in 2024.

Hull City Council's planning committee said the apartments should be pulled down "as soon as practicably possible".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), each block contains eight flats and were built on the site of two Victorian villas which were damaged during World War Two.

The site is within a conservation area, but a council document said the villas are "detrimental" to the aesthetics of the surrounding area as they "do not attempt to mimic the Victorian style which surrounds and complements the rest of the park".

The council document added that the site was "clearly in very poor condition and has been deteriorating for quite some time. Any option to refurbish Henson Villas would therefore entail significant repair works."

The LDRS said that there are currently no plans to redevelop the site after demolition, however the land is listed on a new house building page on the council's website.

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