Whitefriargate shops could be stripped back to historic facades to boost ailing street
BUILDINGS in Whitefriargate could be stripped back to show off their original facades as part of a drive to revive the street.
Hull City Council plans to regenerate the historic shopping street by placing a roof over it and restoring it as a heritage area.
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Hull's Whitefriargate in 1936.
Leader of the council Steve Brady says he wants to see constant action in the coming months to propel trade in the area, which has had a 10 per cent upturn in footfall in the past six months.
Councillor Brady said: "I believe we can really make something of the area by restoring the buildings with their original frontages.
"But we absolutely have to keep moving on this because as soon as things go quiet, they can lose momentum.
"I do not want the dust to settle on this for one instant. I want action all the time."
Councillor Brady says he would also welcome the return of a market to Trinity Square with one condition – that it does not sell "tat".
He said: "People frequently stop me in Whitefriargate and speak to me about the street.
"Lots of people ask why we don't have the market back. I am not against that, but I don't want something selling tat.
"I would be more interested in giving entrepreneurs a chance, perhaps by offering reduced rates, and creating something more like Covent Garden in London."
Councillor Brady has drafted in a team of officers to work on the regeneration of the area and they are today consulting members of the public on what they want for Whitefriargate.
People can have their say at Ferens Art Gallery from 10am to 4pm.
Jon Pywell, the council's head of service for economic development and regeneration, who is working on the project, said: "The most important thing is that we listen to the public about what they want. We don't want to go down the route of creating something commercially unviable.
"We believe it will be possible to work with the shops and business that are in Whitefriargate to expose the original facades.
"We don't know exactly how many are still intact.
"Heritage areas can make a huge difference to a city.
"Cultural and economic regeneration go hand in hand. It is about having a balanced mix."
Shopkeepers have been consulted over the past two months and they will be spoken to regularly in the coming months.
Manager of handmade cosmetic shop Lush, Jill Rowley, who has traded in the street for nine years, said she thought the idea was worth pursuing, but she warned against the council "papering over the cracks".
She said: "I think it is a lovely idea and it would be good to extend the Museum Quarter.
"But people need to think carefully about what is in the shop units and whether they will attract trade.
"I think work also needs to be done to unite the city, because at the moment it is divided and people who shop in St Stephen's shopping centre do not shop in Whitefriargate and vice versa."
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by krudeforth
Thursday, February 23 2012, 11:27PM
“he was called 'Chick' because he sold things cheap”
by hesslelad
Monday, January 30 2012, 5:45PM
“I HeartbeV
There were two fish and chip"tents" in t market area which was open several weekdays and a saturday.The coal fired ranges where by the side of the tents and you could buy to eat outside,or inside the large tents on wooden benches.”
by Eleanor91
Monday, January 30 2012, 4:37PM
“Many years ago this idea came up. Like many other schemes, discussions were held, plans drawn up and I remember models of 'how it all looks' in Princes Quay with papers for you to vote on. But as usual that was as far as they got. Bringing back the market is a good idea. We all remember 'Chip' (think his name was), the fish & chip stall, the book stall next to it and the many different wares on offer. There is not enough variety in Hull. Look at Meadowhall. It has the same shops as every town but it has a little 'Lane' filled with different exciting little shops. Yes make it like a 'Covent Garden' but make it happen. Lets see more action and less words!!”
by RobL1968
Monday, January 30 2012, 3:29PM
“I said to do this when they were asking for ideas brilliant that the council are listening!
http://tinyurl.com/7mw7e8z”
by BazBeverley
Sunday, January 29 2012, 5:09PM
“The Labour-run Council needs to be commended for moving on this. And while litter is a problem, it's not unique to Hull. Beverley is not immune to this, along with other areas, and remember, it's not the council that drops it! Too many people, of all ages, having too little civic pride. And we all pay for this sloven British disease. Shops could help by stop asking 'do you want a plastic bag?' for every purchase, regardless of size. Look back at photos of Hull in the 50s and 60s. You won't see litter in the streets, or people constantly walking around filling their faces.”
by richspice
Sunday, January 29 2012, 12:32PM
“Restoring the shops to their former glory would be a good thing but covering the street with a roof would take the historical character away the street has played a great part in the history of the city and the country and to do this would spoil it. No matter what you do to shops the citys population can only support so much trade without other Business / industry for work we need to encourage the large back so people have money to spend in all these shops”
by bigmamma107
Sunday, January 29 2012, 11:33AM
“yes I would love to have the market back . and somethink dos need doing about whitfryergate as its so dead down ther now. But were is the mony comeing from for all this.”
by poodledoodle2
Saturday, January 28 2012, 10:37AM
“When the council has mastered the basic's of picking up litter & repairng the road then I may be more interested in their grandiose schemes of fantasy town planning”
by MikeCovell
Saturday, January 28 2012, 8:16AM
“Whitefriargate used to be Hull's answer to Fleet-street with the Hull Times, Hull Packet, Hull Daily Mail, Hull Advertiser, Eastern Morning News and Yorkshire Post all having premises at the West end of the street. It had several popular pubs and both the George Hotel and Neptune Inn. It would be nice to see a return to that.”
by NJ1977
Saturday, January 28 2012, 8:02AM
“Excellent idea, it's about time some new ideas were formulated for the development of the city. To all the people defending the old market, I simply ask why? it was pretty grim, I appreciate that it is slightly more difficult to find a retailer that is selling a pack of five pairs of cheaply made white polyester socks for a £1 nowadays but is that really a bad thing? And with regards to the comment about people in Hull only being able to afford tat, well I would guess that that isn't exactly true. I'm slightly surprised more people haven't got upset with that one; however it does fit nicely with the gritty, grim working class hero attitude nonsense prevalent in this city. The attitude that ensures any idea that doesn't somehow promote the interests of 'ull City or the rugby teams is met with distain, confusion and objection. Also, yes these are privately owned shops but the council does have some say on the look of a buildings I would expect (I'm not fully clued up on this but there are surely planning constraints with regards to shop frontage and signage?) and surely if the changes increased trade the shops owners would go for it, the majority of shops left on down there are big chains (M&S, HMV, Burtons, Pandora, HSBC, WH Smiths, Lush) that could afford to pay for the changes if the incentive of increased business was there.”