The Town Deal - Introduction and Overview

Thank you for your questions about both Waterfront Connectivity  which is a project funded under Town Deal, and the project to create a Screen Industries Production Village in and around Church Street which is funded through Levelling Up Fund Round 2. 

There is a phased programme of works for both projects, which have been approved by government as part of the development of the Green Book Compliant Business Cases and successful funding bids. 

The connectivity works are already in delivery, and more information can be found on the Waterfront Connectivity page on YourSay including details of completed works to date. 

The Critical Path Analysis for the Production Village is now in development following final approval of the Council’s funding bid in May, and this will include the full restoration of the Shades Hotel to provide pre and post production facilities. The plan will include acquisition, full design, contractor procurement, repurposing, renovation and redevelopment across a number of properties, and updates will be provided on YourSay at as the project progresses.

Thank you for the question. Information on the Town Deal Board can be found on this dedicated web page including membership https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/homepage/100/hartlepool_town_deal_board_members 

Thank you for the question. Works have already begun in April on the Waterfront Connectivity project (more detail can be found on the project page), the Wesley Chapel redevelopment began in May, while the development of the two new skills Academies will begin in June. The Reimagining Middleton Grange project is a far more complex scheme and is currently at final design stage with works not expected to start until early 2024.

The only asset being regenerated as part of the Hartlepool Town Deal that is in private ownership is the Wesley Chapel and the restoration costs have a £1.4m ‘viability gap’. This is a common issue with listed and heritage buildings, such as the Grade II listed Wesleyan Chapel and more detail is provided in responses to previous questions. The government has provided the Council with the funding for what is known as the conservation deficit to ensure that the heritage value is protected, the building comes into use, the owners invest £2.5m and project results in 55 full time jobs upon operation.

Many thanks for the question about all of our Town Deal projects. Our website and individual project pages across 'YourSay' are currently being refreshed with lots of up to date information about how the projects being delivered in partnership with a number of organisations are progressing, and information that can be made publicly available will be shared on these pages in due course.

Hi Lauren, thank you for your question.   The project is the first phase of re-imagining the shopping centre and focuses on removal of the North East wing, bringing the former Binns building back into use.  In this phase no removal or any changes to the remainder of the shopping centre are included. The next stage of this projects development will be looking at lots of options for improving the shopping centre.  All news updates will be posted on our 'Your Say' portal, so please regularly check on this system.

Hi Lauren, thank you for your question. The project is the first phase of re-imagining the shopping centre and focuses on removal of the North East wing, bringing the former Binns building back into use, but in Phase 1 no removal or any changes to the remainder of the shopping centre are included.  Far from jobs being lost, the project is about protecting existing jobs and creating new ones in a more vibrant town centre. High vacancy rates and empty units mean we want to change the footprint of the north east corner of the centre and encourage new and different uses in to the town, and improve the experience people have and increase the numbers using the existing centre.  All news updates will be posted on our 'Your Say' portal, so please regularly check on this system.

Hi Robert

Thanks for your question, we have provided responses to a series of similar questions on the Wesley Chapel page of Your Say, which can be found here:

https://yoursay.hartlepool.gov.uk/admin/projects/wesleychapel/qanda 

Many thanks

Thanks for the email Paul, there are no new retail units being built as part of this Phase 1 under Towns Deal with the project focusing on bringing the former Binns Building back into use, removing the north east wing and creating public realm with improved accessibility

Thank you for your question. 15 Church Street will be let for commercial use on the ground floor and residential accommodation on the first and second floor. The terms for these however have not yet been agreed at this stage of the project. Shades is a longer term project working with ‘Cameron’s’ as a commercial partner. This was unfortunately delayed due to the pandemic but we hope to provide an update on this project in the coming months which we will post on the HBC regeneration web pages.