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An angry café owner says new flood defences will ruin views across the Humber for his customers.

Steven Barber runs the Oss Wash café and ice cream parlour on Hull's Victoria Pier.

But he claims a new flood wall given the go-ahead by councillors will block views of the historic pier and the estuary itself from his café.

Mr Barber is also facing losing part of a pavilion attached to the café building because of the position of the new-look defences.

The Environment Agency scheme at the pier area forms part of a £42m scheme to raise defences along the Humber from Victoria Dock to St. Andrew's Quay.

At the pier itself, a new 1.6 metre high wall will be constructed with two three-metre wide flood gates installed either side of the main entrance.

(Image: Hull Daily Mail)

Speaking at the council's planning committee, Mr Barber said the new defences would totally change views currently enjoyed by customers at his family-run business.

"At the moment there are 180 degree views of the river and the historic pier, which is Yorkshire's only original surviving pier.

"Under these proposals, there won't be any views of the river or the pier for our customers.

"I fully support the wider flood defence scheme at Victoria Pier but I would like to see additional glazing panels to preserve some of the views."

He said uncertainty over the impact of the flood defence scheme was worrying.

"I have five members of staff and we are a family business. We are being left in limbo over this."

City council planning manager Alex Codd said glazed panels in the new defence wall would still allow for views of the pier along with the gap where the new flood gates were planned.

"The glazing elements within the wall will be sufficient to protect views for customers inside the café as well as those sitting outside," he added.

The gates will fold back on themselves and remain open apart from during high tide alerts.

(Image: Hull Daily Mail)

Councillors heard the Environment Agency had ruled out installing glazing along the full length of the new defences in the Nelson Street area similar to the new glass wall constructed along the waterfront in nearby Paull.

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A report for the committee said: "This has not been progressed because of a lack of certainty about the performance of the glazing in an estuarine environment.

"In less hostile environments such as urban rivers glazed sections seem to perform adequately, however the exposed nature of the estuary with high levels of sediment and exposure to strong winds and waves there is a legitimate concern about the probability of the glass becoming etched or scratched over time."

As well as the new flood wall, a raised public promenade will also be constructed as part of the scheme.

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