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The demolition of a fire-hit former Hartlepool pub has moved a step closer after the submission of a detailed planning application.

The Hourglass pub site in Eaglesfield Road has been hit with numerous fires in recent years since it became vacant in 2019.

It led to councillors calling for urgent action to make the site safe to protect residents.

The latest proposals come after an application for permission in principle was submitted last year from the same applicant to demolish the former pub and build nine new bungalows in its place.

The Hourglass Pub has seen several damaging fires in recent years. Picture by FRANK REID

A full detailed planning application has now been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council seeking to secure permission to demolish the former public house.

Proposals from M and A Holding Limited state the building is in a “dilapidated state” due to previous fires.

A method statement outlines how working hours for the proposed demolition would be between 8am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday to minimise disturbance to residents.

The area would also be surrounded by two metre high fencing during this process, which would be locked with bolted clamps to provide security, with signs fitted to deter unauthorised entry.

Damage inside the pub. Picture by FRANK REID

The demolition would be carried out by operatives “knowledgeable and experienced in work of this nature” who would wear full PPE including protective footwear, gloves, hi-vis vests, helmets, asbestos suits and face masks.

According to planning documents the pub closed in 2019, and the vacant site was hit by fires in September 2021, April 2022 and May 2022, which left the building “not functional as a public house”.

A statement from Avalon Town Planning in support of that application said demolishing the pub and building nine bungalows in its place would “improve the appearance of a currently run-down site” and the area as a whole.

It said: “This is an urban site that is currently underused and in need of redevelopment.

“It is not designated as a community asset and its continued use as a public house is not viable.”

A decision is yet to be made on the initial application by council planners which would determine whether the site is suitable in principle for the nine bungalows to be built.

A verdict on the latest detailed “full” planning application is expected next month.

Plans to demolish fire-hit Hartlepool pub move forward with new planning application