Bid to build hundreds of Hartlepool homes and create new jobs receives a boost
Ambitious plans to expand an established business park to include new housing and employment space have received a boost.
North-East property development company Hellens Group previously lodged two planning applications as part of its proposals for the Queens Meadow Business Park, off the A689, in Hartlepool.
The first of these sought to secure outline approval to build up to 210 properties, comprising a mix of two, three and four-bedroomed homes, on land to the east of the site.
A separate hybrid application was submitted at the same time seeking outline permission to provide 451,000sqft of employment floorspace and full approval to build 14 new employment buildings.
Both proposals are scheduled to go before the next meeting of Hartlepool Development Corporation’s (HDC) planning board – with reports from officers recommending the applications are approved.
They have concluded the employment space proposals would “assist in the delivery of the final phase of the Queens Meadow business park.”
Development corporation planners noted “delivery at Queens Meadow has stalled due to viability issues” and “significant weight should be afforded to the benefits which would stem from the proposed development, most notably the initial delivery of 14 employment units”.
In regards to the housing application, they noted that, while the proposal would result in the loss of employment land, “the provision of new homes is considered to be beneficial” and the plans are deemed “acceptable”.
The approval for that application would be subject to the completion of a section 106 legal agreement securing £290,000 from the developer to address wider impacts of the scheme.
This would include a minimum of £237,500 towards primary education and funding towards mitigating recreational disturbance around Teesmouth and the Cleveland coast.
Concerns have been raised over the applications on behalf of Tata Steel and Liberty Pipes who “strongly object to the principle of residential development” at the site.
The proposals are scheduled to go before the HDC planning board for a decision on Wednesday, June 11.
Speaking when plans were submitted, Hellens bosses outlined how they are aiming to eventually create up to 785 jobs at the business park and another 354 indirectly via the supply chain.
They added they were “excited to be bringing these plans forward” after previously conducting a public consultation exercise over the proposals.