Take first look around the new BIS hub for creative industries in Hartlepool

Special guided tours are being run around The BIS, which is being created in the refurbished and enlarged Grade II listed former Post Office building in Whitby Street are being staged on Tuesday, December 11,

The conversion – which has been funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority - is part of a wider Hartlepool Borough Council initiative to transform the Church Street area into a hub for the creative industries.

Open to both new and existing businesses in the creative sector, including graduates of the Northern School of Art, The BIS will boast a comprehensive range of facilities including:

* 28 studio units of various sizes – a mix of workshops and office space;

* Two fully-equipped meeting/conference rooms;

* A visitor reception area, social space, shower and changing facilities and disabled access;

* Superfast broadband and comprehensive WiFi coverage;

* A monitored CCTV and alarm system.

A range of flexible easy in, easy out terms are available and The BIS will also offer specialist support to help its tenants succeed.

The council will run the centre with the support of the Northern School of Art, which last year opened its new £8m campus in Church Street.

Councillor Kevin Cranney, chairman of the council’s Regeneration Services Committee, said: “The BIS will provide an ideal environment in which new or existing businesses in the creative industries can grow and flourish, creating more local jobs.

"It will also help to keep the fantastic young talent coming out of Hartlepool’s colleges in the town when they graduate.

"There’s already a lot of interest in The BIS and I hope people will seize this early opportunity to take a tour and stake their claim to one of the business units.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The exciting BIS development will help lay the foundation for a thriving, vibrant creative cluster in the Church Street area.

"The guided tours around this quality workspace will show entrepreneurs in the creative industries – including the graduates of Hartlepool’s excellent colleges – that they have everything they need to succeed right here in the Tees Valley.

"By backing the jobs of tomorrow today, we can make sure we keep our local talent and drive forward economic growth.”

Interested potential tenants can find out more and book places on one of the guided tours at www.eventbrite.co.uk – search for ‘The BIS Talk & Tour’.