I've been banging on about the virtues of investing in Hull for over a year now, so when this picture of the latest footbridge landed into my inbox this morning, I felt vindicated that my faith in the city's regeneration is not in vain, writes Michele Andrew.

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Despite the fact that the winning, London-based architects beat a local firm to the job (boo, boo we say) the new bridge looks just the sort of structure to help turn one of East Yorkshire's most unpleasant places into a property hotspot.

The selected design was developed by architects and urban designers McDowell+Benedetti, working with engineers Alan Baxter & Associates and Yorkshire-based contractors Qualter Hall. The bridge is intended to complement the proposed scheme on the East Bank of the River Hull named ‘The Boom', by providing easy access from the site to the city centre.

Huge investment in the city centre will help to pull the city from the bottom league of the UK's worst cities. With its thriving university and a diversity of manufacting industries encircling the city, developers have been quick to build units of interest to investors. Solid traditional housing stock can be picked up for around £65k close to the university, but don't expect high rental returns. You'll get about £40 per room per week, so forget ideas of £800 pcm for a swanky new build apartment. Nevertheless, it's a good long-term punt.