More Hartlepool council buildings and services hit by coronavirus shutdown

Hartlepool Borough Council announced the closure of a number buildings on Tuesday, March 19, including the Borough Hall, Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre, Hartlepool Art Gallery and Mill House Leisure Centre.

The authority has now decided to close additional buildings until further notice to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community and to enable council staff from the buildings to be redeployed to critical services.

Public toilets in the town have also been closed in the interest of public safety.

The latest closures are:

One Stop Shop (downstairs at Windsor Buildings) from Wednesday, March 18; Throston Youth Service and Rossmere Youth Centre; Centre for Excellence in Creative Arts, King Oswy aims to close by Friday, March 20; Children’s centres. All groups cancelled and open access stopped with immediate effect. Appointments can be booked to see staff including health visitors and community nursery nurses by telephone or through the Hartlepool Children’s Centres Facebook page.

The council says it will re-open the venues as soon as possible based on government advice and apologises for any inconvenience.

Day services for vulnerable adults are being reviewed as well as ways in which the authority can support vulnerable adults and those socially isolated in their own homes.

Gill Alexander, chief executive of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “Following Government guidance on managing the coronavirus outbreak, we have unfortunately had to take the decision to close a number of our buildings to the public.

“Essential front-line services are continuing and staff are working exceptionally hard to ensure that they do.

“Closing buildings also allows us to redeploy workers to these critical services.

“I’d like to thank all of our residents across Hartlepool for bearing with us during these unprecedented times.”

The Civic Centre Contact Centre, Community Hub Central in York Road and Community Hub South in Wynyard Road remain open, but residents must follow social distancing procedures in place and anyone with coronavirus symptoms must not attend.

Further information can be found at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/coronavirus