Councillors have granted outline planning permission for the scheme which developers say the likes of which has not been seen for decades.

Hartlepool Borough Council backed proposals put forward by developers to create almost £100m of sea view properties on Hartlepool's derelict Steetley site – but it could be three years before building work starts.

Culford Properties intends to build 480 homes, set to cost an average of £200,000 each, in a six-year development programme.



Ten per cent of the properties will be put aside for affordable housing.

Nick Blezard, agent for Culford Properties, said: "We are obviously very pleased that the council was minded to approve permission.

"There has been a lot of hard work to get here and there is still a lot more work to do because of the problems on the site.

"Historically people have liked looking out on the sea but there has been very few developments in the last 20 or 30 years for that. This will provide that opportunity."

The derelict site was the subject of the Mail's Sort Out Steetley campaign, which called for the area to be cleaned up and redeveloped urgently after becoming a danger to the trespassers.

Council chiefs said the new development provided the best opportunity to rid the town of pollution on the site that will cost Culford Properties £8m to clear.

Richard Teece, the council's development control manager, said: "We believe it offers the best way forward in terms of redevelopment and positive contribution to the town."

The application will be referred to the Government because the site, off Old Cemetery Road, near West View, is not designated for housing and due to its impact on a protected nature reserve.

Conservation body Natural England previously objected to the plans as the provision of new sea defences to protect the homes will see the loss of five hectares of birds' habitat.
But Culford Properties has agreed to provide eight hectares of land for the Environment Agency to create another habitat in the nearby Tees Estuary.

Culford now has to sign a legal agreement with the council, expected to take up to nine months to draw up.

Work to clear the former magnesium works should then take another three months after that.

Decontamination, securing detailed planning consent and building sea defences will then take a further two years before the six-year building programme begins.