Veterans village shelved due to 'spiralling' costs

Plans for a veterans' village near Hull have been shelved due to "spiralling" development costs and changes in "operational priorities", a charity has said.

The development in Cottingham, led by Hull4Heroes, aimed to help ex-service personnel transition to civilian life.

In a statement, chief executive Paul Matson, a veteran himself, said: "It is with deep regret that we feel we can no longer take the veterans' village forward.

"The decision has not been taken lightly."

The idea of creating a community for veterans, which included 48 transitional homes for those leaving the armed forces, along with training and support facilities, was granted planning permission in 2020, with an estimated development cost of £8m.

However, a review by charity trustees in June found the project now had an estimated cost of between £17m and £20m.

The review also cited changes in "operational priorities" as demand increased for all the services provided by the charity.

It said the extensive costs of the early phases of the project would not deliver the value and benefits that could be provided through the core services the charity currently offers to the veterans' communities and their families.

Mr Matson said: "Although it was an extremely difficult decision to have to make, it was, sadly, unavoidable.

"There has been a huge amount of work that has gone into this project by a lot of very dedicated people, so it is a terrible shame not to be able to take it through to completion."

The trustees and Mr Matson also "extended their heartfelt thanks" to everyone who had supported the project.

Mr Matson said anyone who had donated funds could have their money returned, donated to another cause, or directed to fund other services at Hull4Heroes.

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