East Yorkshire veterans' village passes planning stage one

A plan to create a veterans' village for former servicemen and women in East Yorkshire has been granted conditional approval by Hull City Council.

The scheme, led by the Hull 4 Heroes charity, seeks to build 48 single-storey homes on a site in Hull.

Plans also include provision for a rehabilitation facility, market garden and community facilities.

The project, believed to be the first of its kind, is being supported by Nick Knowles, star of BBC's DIY SOS show.

Earlier, Mr Knowles said: "It is hugely important that we start to see our veterans in any city across the country as a resource and not as a problem."

"What we are trying to do here is provide an environment in which those people can flourish, get training and have new job opportunities," he added.

The village is designed to help veterans return to civilian life.

In 2015, the TV presenter and his team transformed an entire street of rundown houses in Manchester into homes for war veterans in a matter of days.

More on this and other East Yorkshire stories

Councillor Daren Hale, deputy leader of Hull City Council, said: "This is a fantastic and innovative project that we are proud to support, further highlighting the council's commitment to veterans in the city.

"This facility will provide a tremendous boost to help veterans integrating back into the community, providing not just accommodation but support, advice and employment opportunities."

The development would be split across two sites, straddling the border between Hull City Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council areas.

East Riding Council still needs to give its approval for the plans before a final decision can be made.