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East Bank Urban Village Regeneration: Kingston upon Hull property market impact research

East Bank Urban Village is Hull's big riverside housing-led regeneration play: a long-underused stretch of land opposite the Old Town is being lined up for up to 850 homes, new green spaces, a restored riverside walkway, better walking and cycling connections and renewed life around heritage assets such as Trinity Buoy Shed. The first planning application is now in, but this remains a phased 15-year project rather than an instant waterfront neighbourhood.

Research snapshot

At a glance

Project scale850-home mixed-use district

Published scope summary

Delivery window2027 to 2040

Publicly stated timeframe

Focus districtsHU1 and HU2 postcode districts

Property-market context

Research confidenceHigh

15 sources reviewed, last verified 9 Aug 2026

CGI view of the proposed East Bank Urban Village in Hull
Project visualEast Bank Urban Village CGI. Image credit: CJCT Studios and Virtual Resolution via Hull City Council. Source

Project timeline

  1. Latest updateEast Bank Urban Village progresses with phase one planning submission

    A hybrid planning application was submitted in April 2026, with phase one construction scheduled to begin in 2027

  2. East Bank Urban Village progresses with phase one planning submission

    Detailed plans for phase one were submitted in April 2026, with construction of the initial phase scheduled to begin in 2027

Reviewed monthly while the project remains active. The latest verified update is shown first, followed by future targets and earlier milestones.

Project snapshot

ItemEvidence-led position
ProjectEast Bank Urban Village
CityKingston upon Hull
LocationEast bank of the River Hull, opposite Hull Old Town
Public sponsorHull City Council
Development partnerECF, the partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse
Design teamCJCT Studios referenced in project imagery/design material
Overall homesUp to 850 homes
Phase One37 townhouses and 78 apartments, all affordable
Later phasesMore than 700 build-to-rent and affordable apartments
Funding£9.875m / £9.8m Levelling Up Partnership funding for enabling works and infrastructure
Planning statusHybrid planning application submitted April 2026
Delivery horizonPhased over four stages; Phase One construction anticipated from 2027, final completion around 2040 in project material
Investor readingStrong waterfront placemaking signal, but still early in planning/delivery cycle

Location and strategic context

East Bank sits immediately across the River Hull from the Old Town, near the Fruit Market, The Deep, Scale Lane Bridge and Drypool Basin. It has a strong location but has long been underused, fragmented and disconnected from the most active parts of Hull's visitor and city-centre economy.

The regeneration logic is to make the river work harder as a place to live, walk, cycle and spend time. If the scheme succeeds, East Bank could extend the appeal of the Old Town and Fruit Market across the water, while helping Hull City Council meet its city-centre housing ambition.

What is proposed or delivered

The submitted hybrid application includes detailed designs for Phase One and outline plans for the wider neighbourhood. Phase One would establish the core of the new neighbourhood with 37 townhouses and 78 apartments across two buildings. All of those homes are intended to be affordable.

The first phase also includes the eastern landing for Scale Lane Bridge and a connection to Trinity Buoy Shed, a local heritage building that forms part of the long-term neighbourhood vision.

Later phases would deliver more than 700 build-to-rent and affordable apartments, plus shops, cafes, commercial spaces, amenities, new green spaces, a revitalised Drypool Basin area, reinstated riverside walkway and active travel routes.

Partners, public bodies and funding

Hull City Council is the public-sector lead. ECF is the development partner, bringing together Homes England, Legal & General and Muse. Hull City Council confirmed ECF as lead development partner at UKREiiF in 2025, with a 15-year development agreement for masterplanning, development and construction.

The scheme is supported by £9.875m of Levelling Up Partnership funding. Hull Council and Invest Hull describe this as supporting enabling works and early infrastructure delivery. That helps de-risk early work, but does not mean every later phase is fully funded and contracted.

Planning and governance status

The key current status is that the hybrid planning application has been submitted. Phase One is the detailed part of the application, while subsequent phases are coming forward in outline. Planning approval is still a key gateway.

The project has already gone through community conversations in September and October 2025, with feedback shaping the masterplan. The official project website describes a phased approach over several years, with Phase One construction anticipated in 2027 and final Phase Four completion anticipated in 2040.

Timeline

Date / periodMilestone
2024/2025Hull City Council selects/announces ECF as preferred/lead development partner
May 2025ECF confirmed as lead development partner at UKREiiF
September-October 2025Community conversations inform the masterplan
April 2026Hybrid planning application submitted for Phase One and wider neighbourhood
2027Phase One construction anticipated, subject to planning and delivery steps
2030sLater phases expected to bring build-to-rent and affordable apartments forward
2040Project material anticipates final Phase Four completion

Property investor section

East Bank has several characteristics investors tend to watch: waterfront land, proximity to the Old Town and Fruit Market, a large public-sector regeneration partnership, affordable-housing-led first phase, and a long-term pipeline of build-to-rent homes.

The positive case is that East Bank could turn a forgotten riverside edge into an extension of Hull's city-centre living market. Better links over Scale Lane Bridge, a reinstated river walkway, revived heritage assets and new public spaces would all strengthen the everyday appeal of the location.

The cautious case is timing and delivery. Phase One is still subject to the planning process, and the wider 850-home vision stretches across multiple phases through to around 2040. Investors should monitor planning approval, funding, construction starts, tenure mix, service charges, flood/water management, public-realm maintenance and actual rental/sales evidence as homes complete.

Rental impact is qualitative and should not be read as a price or rent forecast. A sensible investment view is to treat East Bank as long-term optionality, not as a reason to overpay for weak assets today.

Risks and watch points

  • Planning risk: the application has been submitted, but approval and conditions still matter.
  • Long phasing: the scheme is expected to run over many years and market cycles.
  • Funding: Levelling Up Partnership money supports enabling works, not all phases.
  • Flood and water management: the scheme must work with Hull's Living With Water principles and sustainable drainage.
  • Absorption: build-to-rent and affordable homes need sustained demand.
  • Connectivity: the regeneration value depends on Scale Lane Bridge, riverside routes and links to the Fruit Market and Old Town.
  • Heritage reuse: Trinity Buoy Shed and other heritage assets need viable, active uses.
Verification

Sources and references

Sources and verification notes15 links used for verification

Source links are kept here for verification without interrupting the report reading flow.

East Bank Urban Village Regeneration & Property Impact | Bellsoph