Former home of failed Hartlepool firm Utility Alliance to become apartments

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Proposals have been given the go-ahead by Hartlepool Borough Council planning department to convert the upper floors of Tranquillity House, in Harbour Walk, Hartlepool, from offices into apartments.

The site was previously home to Utility Alliance which went into administration earlier this year, leading to almost 250 people losing their jobs.

Submitted by North East Commercial Hartlepool, proposals state the ground floor will remain as office accommodation, with the upper three floors converted into one and two-bed flats.

Tranquility House, the former home of Utility Alliance, in Hartlepool, is to be transformed into apartments.

A report from senior council planning officer Ryan Cowley confirmed approval had been granted by the local authority.

The site will feature 15 two bed apartments and three one bed apartments, with six properties on each of the upper three floors.

Parking will be retained to the west of the site, with 21 spaces available, one for each flat and three visitor spaces, while 20 cycle parking spaces will be provided.

Planning documents, submitted by Cameron Rose Associates on behalf of the applicant, state the site has sustainable transport links and could house key workers in the area.

Around 250 people lost their job when the Utility Alliance went into administration in February 2021.

It said: “The site is within walking distance of existing public transport connections and is well served by high standard local walking/cycling connections.

“As the development is intended to cater for key workers, consideration has been given to the walking route to University Hospital of Hartlepool (where some key workers may be working).”

One objection was submitted to the plans, from nearby factory Omya UK, in Middleton Road, which raised concerns the noise from their site could impact residents who live in the apartments.

The factory operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, crushing and processing high purity stone from Scandinavia for use as powders in paints, plastics and adhesives.

Yet council planning officers ruled this should not be an issue as existing glazing “would be sufficient to negate the impact” for residents.

Recommendations have also been made as part of the proposals to provide all apartments with a powered ventilation system so windows can largely remain closed.

An administrator’s report last week revealed that Utility Alliance owed 250 creditors more than £4m when it collapsed in February.