Screen Industries Production Village

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Catalysing Hartlepool’s Screen Industries Production Village - £16.4m Levelling Up Fund programme

The Production Village

A new Screen Industries Production Village is being delivered in the Church Street area of Hartlepool to act as a catalyst for the further development of Hartlepool’s screen industries sector. The Village will provide vital pre and post production support, building on the high-quality facilities already in place at the state-of-the-art Northern Film and TV Studios in Lynn Street and at The BIS in Whitby Street, the Council’s award-winning centre for start-up businesses in the creative sector.

The project elements include:

  • Acquisition of a range of existing assets at strategic sites
  • Development of flexible spaces for post-production, back-office and wider support services for the Screen Industries
  • Construction of 2,750 sq.m of flexible commercial/workshop floorspace suitable for the Screen Industries and supply chain activity
  • Restoration of strategic heritage assets, including the Grade II listed former Shades Hotel
  • Supporting infrastructure within a transformed urban environment

Extensive public realm and amenity enhancements will be delivered including improvements to Lynn St, Whitby St, Scarborough St and Station Approach, to revitalise the area and create a vibrant sense of place for the creative sector, local businesses and residents. The public realm works will improve the connection through to the town centre with this exciting transformational project aiming to attract additional, new investment to the town.

Support from Levelling up fund

Hartlepool was successful in securing a £16.4m grant from the Government’s Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities under the Levelling Up Round 2 Fund to deliver this programme. This vital revenue and capital support will transform the urban environment, create 131 new jobs and opportunities in the creative industries sector, and provide a vital boost to the local economy. This grant support is in addition to the £25m received from the governments Town Deal which is supporting the delivery of 5 key projects as part of the wider regeneration of the town and the delivery of the Council’s Town Centre Masterplan.

Anti-Fraud and Corruption

Hartlepool Council has a policy setting out its position on tackling fraud and corruption. The Screen Industries Production Village project adheres to this policy.

Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy | Hartlepool Borough Council

A Hartlepool Levelling Up Fund board is in development and its members will have to adhere to a code of conduct which sets out an approach to work that is honest and fair. A register of interests will also be required to record any financial or other interests and record any receipt and offering of hospitality or gifts.

Latest news – November 2023

So far, in the early months of the project the key milestones have been:

  • The Prime Minister visited the Northern School of Art and Production Village site this year, launching the national LUF Round 2 programme
  • 6 properties have completed acquisition, ahead of design, restoration and redevelopment to provide production village facilities
  • 2 further properties are in development to provide requisite production space
  • Procurement of first contractors underway

FAQ's

Q: Why is this money being spent on more regeneration of buildings and not on fixing pot holes, street cleaning or social care?

A: The Levelling Up Fund Round 2 was designed solely to provide investment in

infrastructure, and the funding criteria only supported local authority investment in town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets, including upgrading eyesore buildings.

Q: Why is the Council spending this money in the Church Street area and not elsewhere

in the town centre?

A: The Council has already secured £25 million from the Government’s Town Deal to reimagine the north-east corner of Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, bring the former Binns department store back into use and work with private sector owners to restore the Grade II listed Wesley Chapel. It demonstrates the Council’s commitment to delivering the Town Centre Masterplan published in 2021.

Q: Is it just the Council’s idea to create a Production Village?

A: The Council has worked with a range of organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses and Hartlepool College of Further Education, to identify a project that has the best value for money, the biggest impact in terms of jobs and skills and the potential to transform this part of the town centre. We have worked with Jacobs UK to develop a Government-approved Business Case which highlights the massive development opportunities for the growing screen and creative industries sector in Hartlepool.

Q: Why is money being spent on buildings in private ownership?

A: The Production Village project encompasses many heritage assets and listed buildings. The value of such assets after refurbishment is generally lower than the cost of the works to bring them back into use, so it is quite common for external public funding to be used in this way.

Q: Will local people and small businesses benefit?

A: The project will create significant employment and training opportunities. It will deliver 2,750 square metres of new facilities supporting 131 permanent full-time equivalent (FTE) posts, with £6 million worth of skills being retained locally.

Q: When will buildings actually start to be improved?

A: It is hoped to begin development early in 2024, once the Council has acquired properties, produced a full design for the programme and procured contractors.

Catalysing Hartlepool’s Screen Industries Production Village - £16.4m Levelling Up Fund programme

The Production Village

A new Screen Industries Production Village is being delivered in the Church Street area of Hartlepool to act as a catalyst for the further development of Hartlepool’s screen industries sector. The Village will provide vital pre and post production support, building on the high-quality facilities already in place at the state-of-the-art Northern Film and TV Studios in Lynn Street and at The BIS in Whitby Street, the Council’s award-winning centre for start-up businesses in the creative sector.

The project elements include:

  • Acquisition of a range of existing assets at strategic sites
  • Development of flexible spaces for post-production, back-office and wider support services for the Screen Industries
  • Construction of 2,750 sq.m of flexible commercial/workshop floorspace suitable for the Screen Industries and supply chain activity
  • Restoration of strategic heritage assets, including the Grade II listed former Shades Hotel
  • Supporting infrastructure within a transformed urban environment

Extensive public realm and amenity enhancements will be delivered including improvements to Lynn St, Whitby St, Scarborough St and Station Approach, to revitalise the area and create a vibrant sense of place for the creative sector, local businesses and residents. The public realm works will improve the connection through to the town centre with this exciting transformational project aiming to attract additional, new investment to the town.

Support from Levelling up fund

Hartlepool was successful in securing a £16.4m grant from the Government’s Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities under the Levelling Up Round 2 Fund to deliver this programme. This vital revenue and capital support will transform the urban environment, create 131 new jobs and opportunities in the creative industries sector, and provide a vital boost to the local economy. This grant support is in addition to the £25m received from the governments Town Deal which is supporting the delivery of 5 key projects as part of the wider regeneration of the town and the delivery of the Council’s Town Centre Masterplan.

Anti-Fraud and Corruption

Hartlepool Council has a policy setting out its position on tackling fraud and corruption. The Screen Industries Production Village project adheres to this policy.

Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy | Hartlepool Borough Council

A Hartlepool Levelling Up Fund board is in development and its members will have to adhere to a code of conduct which sets out an approach to work that is honest and fair. A register of interests will also be required to record any financial or other interests and record any receipt and offering of hospitality or gifts.

Latest news – November 2023

So far, in the early months of the project the key milestones have been:

  • The Prime Minister visited the Northern School of Art and Production Village site this year, launching the national LUF Round 2 programme
  • 6 properties have completed acquisition, ahead of design, restoration and redevelopment to provide production village facilities
  • 2 further properties are in development to provide requisite production space
  • Procurement of first contractors underway

FAQ's

Q: Why is this money being spent on more regeneration of buildings and not on fixing pot holes, street cleaning or social care?

A: The Levelling Up Fund Round 2 was designed solely to provide investment in

infrastructure, and the funding criteria only supported local authority investment in town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets, including upgrading eyesore buildings.

Q: Why is the Council spending this money in the Church Street area and not elsewhere

in the town centre?

A: The Council has already secured £25 million from the Government’s Town Deal to reimagine the north-east corner of Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, bring the former Binns department store back into use and work with private sector owners to restore the Grade II listed Wesley Chapel. It demonstrates the Council’s commitment to delivering the Town Centre Masterplan published in 2021.

Q: Is it just the Council’s idea to create a Production Village?

A: The Council has worked with a range of organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses and Hartlepool College of Further Education, to identify a project that has the best value for money, the biggest impact in terms of jobs and skills and the potential to transform this part of the town centre. We have worked with Jacobs UK to develop a Government-approved Business Case which highlights the massive development opportunities for the growing screen and creative industries sector in Hartlepool.

Q: Why is money being spent on buildings in private ownership?

A: The Production Village project encompasses many heritage assets and listed buildings. The value of such assets after refurbishment is generally lower than the cost of the works to bring them back into use, so it is quite common for external public funding to be used in this way.

Q: Will local people and small businesses benefit?

A: The project will create significant employment and training opportunities. It will deliver 2,750 square metres of new facilities supporting 131 permanent full-time equivalent (FTE) posts, with £6 million worth of skills being retained locally.

Q: When will buildings actually start to be improved?

A: It is hoped to begin development early in 2024, once the Council has acquired properties, produced a full design for the programme and procured contractors.

Please feel free to ask the team any questions with regards to this project and the plans for the Hartlepool Production Village

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  • Share Will the private companies be charged for restoring their building? Surely public money should be spend on public buildings or places, or should they be forced purchases so the public can see some benefit instead of private companies. on Facebook Share Will the private companies be charged for restoring their building? Surely public money should be spend on public buildings or places, or should they be forced purchases so the public can see some benefit instead of private companies. on Twitter Share Will the private companies be charged for restoring their building? Surely public money should be spend on public buildings or places, or should they be forced purchases so the public can see some benefit instead of private companies. on Linkedin Email Will the private companies be charged for restoring their building? Surely public money should be spend on public buildings or places, or should they be forced purchases so the public can see some benefit instead of private companies. link

    Will the private companies be charged for restoring their building? Surely public money should be spend on public buildings or places, or should they be forced purchases so the public can see some benefit instead of private companies.

    Fionam asked 11 months ago

    Thanks for the question regarding the Production Village. All of the assets to be restored and refurbished as Production Village facilities will be in the ownership of Hartlepool Borough Council, then council will operate those facilities and the Levelling Up funding secured is to be utilised for this. More details will be provided on these pages in due course as final designs are developed

Page last updated: 25 Jan 2024, 11:25 AM