Plans approved for £22m phase of regneration scheme

Plans have been approved for a £22m development in the Fruit Market area of Hull, which is set to create 500 jobs. 

The scheme will comprise a new head office for safety equipment supplier Arco, a 350 space multi-storey car park, 34 residential units and 3,000 sq ft of retail/leisure space.

Work on the five-storey head office building, covering 55,000 sq ft, will begin this summer with an aim of approximately 450 Arco staff moving in by the end of 2020.

Located on a site between Blackfriargate and Humber Street, this scheme is the latest phase of the £80m redevelopment of the Fruit Market waterfront quarter into a new urban village.

Wykeland Beal, the joint venture company driving forward the regeneration of the Fruit Market in partnership with Hull City Council, worked with Arco to develop the plans for the new head office and submitted the planning application.

Dominic Gibbons, managing director of Wykeland Group, said: “As well as securing Arco’s future in Hull in a showpiece new head office, this development paves the way for further investment in residential, retail and leisure space, all adding to our ‘live, work and play’ vision for the Fruit Market. The multi-storey car park will also be a vital asset, supporting Arco and its employees and the growth of the area as a magnet for business investment and visitors.

“We will now continue to work in partnership with Arco to deliver a building that will provide a platform for success for many years to come, while also delivering another huge boost for the remarkable rejuvenation of the Fruit Market.”

David Evison, managing director of Arco, added: “This planning permission signifies another chapter for Arco and our return to the Fruit Market. Although our Waverly Street office has served us well since 1961, our new head office will provide the room we need for continued growth and allow our colleagues to prosper and new talent to emerge. As many will know, we have a strong connection to Hull and we are dedicated to ensuring its success, which is why we are devoted to investing in its growth.”

This latest investment in the Fruit Market will bring more than 500 office, retail and leisure jobs to the waterfront area as well as a large number of jobs during the construction phase.

Councillor Daren Hale, Hull City Council portfolio holder for economic investment and regeneration, said: “Arco moving its head office and 450 staff to the Fruit Market will be a significant boost to the area and all the fantastic businesses that operate there.

“The relocation is a major part in our long-term vision for the city centre, key to both the regeneration and investment that continues to take place in the Fruit Market, as well as the vital Castle Street works.

“Arco is a nationally recognised and respected company with its foundations firmly in Hull. We are delighted that this decision, alongside the construction underway at its distribution centre at Priory Park, shows that the company’s future is also in the city.”