According to Hornsea Collective, the first of the starfish – earmarked for the town’s Floral Hall – is in the hands of ERYC’s planning department.
Architect Phil Bingham said he had waived his usual fee of £800 and provided drawings free of charge, in order “to give something back”.
He suggested the planning requirements probably stemmed from locations being in a conservation area, “where rules are a little bit more controlled”.
In a statement, ERYC said it had been able to take a “pragmatic approach” to previous art trails, which tended to be “free‑standing installations sited on a temporary basis”.
However, the starfish works could not be considered “de minimis” because of “the size and scale of these sculptures”.
They would be over 4.3ft (1.3sq m) in size, fixed to buildings and “project outwards”, the statement said.
This meant they would “change the appearance of the buildings” and “have some permanence”.
“This amounts to development for which planning permission is required,” ERYC added.
“The council is requesting more information – including exact locations and how long the installations will remain in place – before giving detailed advice on whether each site is suitable and the relevant consents that will be required.”