Talks held with likes of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 over bringing projects to Hartlepool

The sector was highlighted as a key area for growth at the latest meeting of the Hartlepool Development Corporation Board.

Work will build into developments around Church Street including the new state-of-the-art Northern Film and TV Studios, which hosted its first major production last month.

It will also incorporate the planned production village nearby which has secured £16.5m in Levelling Up funding from Government to “catalyse” the town’s fledgling screen industries sector.

The meeting heard politicians and local government chiefs have already been holding talks with the likes of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 over potential projects in the town.

Councillor Shane Moore, Hartlepool Borough Council ceremonial mayor and former leader, noted the work will have big benefits which they plan to tell residents more about.

He said: “There is a huge amount of hype and a lot of potential investment that will come off the back of this.”

Conservative Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who chairs the board, said 14 productions were filmed across the Tees Valley over the past year, with more to come.

He said: “While we have the film studios, there is more value to be captured.

“It’s what are the missing pieces of infrastructure that will drive value to what we’ve got, so we’re capturing more of that value here. We want to keep it all here together.”

He added the planned large-scale studio facilities in Sunderland from Fulwell 73 capable of delivering major motion pictures will “compliment” the offer in Hartlepool.