Ted and Shirley Spence, from St Hilda's Walk in Hartlepool, are waiting to see if Hartlepool Borough Council will grant planning permission for the homes on the site of the former Sun Inn pub, in Durham Street.



The couple's son and daughter-in-law, Stephen and Carole, have applied for planning permission to build two dormer bungalows – one for Stephen's parents and one to sell.

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"They were born and bred on the Headland and my mother-in-law hasn't been well," said Carole, 47.

"She doesn't want to leave the Headland but needs a bungalow and with there being a shortage of bungalows there we thought we would build them one."

Carole, who runs a recyling centre in Seaham, added: "I read it in the paper about the Sun Inn and I thought what a waste."
This is the first time Carole and Stephen, who works for Tallent Engineering, in Aycliffe, have ventured into the building business.

"It's exciting but stressful. How many people build their mother-in-law a house?" said Carole, who lives on the Bishop Cuthbert estate and is mum to Leanne, 13, and Lauren 10.

"My father-in-law did say to my mother-in-law 'maybe dreams can come true'. That's what they wanted, a bungalow on the Headland."

A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesman said a decision will be made on the application next month.