Fort Paull caravan park plan to go before council

Plans to turn a medieval fortress into a caravan park could soon go before councillors almost three years after they were lodged.

Fort Paull, in East Yorkshire, was a museum of military aircraft and vehicles before closing in 2020.

Concerns had been raised by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Paull Parish Council over safety risks and fears guests walking their dogs could harm wildlife.

Historic England said it supported the plans as a way to bring the site back into use.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the planning application could be heard at an East Riding of Yorkshire Council planning meeting in around six weeks’ time.

Owner Brian Rushworth wants to put 64 pitches on the site and plans include reopening areas of the former museum to the public.

The parish council claims sheer drops within the fort’s boundary walls pose a safety risk.

Matthew Green, director of Green Planning Studio which is handling the application, believes the plans are a sensible proposal to preserve a heritage asset.

He said: “This is about trying to find a beneficial use for this so it can be preserved."

Mr Green said work on the site could begin in three months but added "there are lots of other outside bodies involved in this”.

Fort Paull's status as a scheduled ancient monument could see additional conditions imposed, he confirmed.

The site was bought at auction in 2020 when much of its collection was also sold off.

Cumbria’s Solway Aviation Museum recently launched a fundraising campaign to try and buy the Blackburn Beverley transport aircraft that was on display at the historical fortress.

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