Council plan £207,000 renovation of former Church Street takeaway site in Hartlepool

Council bosses have laid out plans for a £207,000 renovation of a former takeaway site in Church Street.
Hartlepool Borough Council acquired 15 Church Street, which was previously home to Mama Mia's and residential flats and is joined on to the former Shades site, in August last year.Hartlepool Borough Council acquired 15 Church Street, which was previously home to Mama Mia's and residential flats and is joined on to the former Shades site, in August last year.
Hartlepool Borough Council acquired 15 Church Street, which was previously home to Mama Mia's and residential flats and is joined on to the former Shades site, in August last year.

Hartlepool Borough Council acquired 15 Church Street, which was previously home to Mama Mia’s and residential flats and is joined on to the former Shades site, in August last year.

The purpose of the acquisition was to further the regeneration of Church Street and the town’s Innovation and Skills Quarter by renovating the property and bringing it back into use.

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It is now proposed the site is renovated, with the upper floors offering two flats each featuring two bedrooms, while the ground floor is renovated to become a shop or cafe, dependent on market demand.

Council bosses have now estimated the costs of the work at £207,000, £21,000 less than they previously predicted.

The renovation would be funded from £73,000 of grant funding,  and £134,000 of borrowing, which would be recouped from income from shop and flat rent when the site becomes operational.

The council finance and policy committee will make a decision on whether to give the plans the green light at its meeting on Monday.

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A report from Denise Ogden, director of regeneration and neighbourhoods, said the work would further the regeneration of Church Street to benefit the town.

It said: “At the time of purchase, the property had been disused for a considerable period and was in generally poor condition.

“The property was acquired in order to promote the regeneration of Church Street and the broader Innovation and Skills Quarter.

“This can only be achieved through renovating the building and bringing it back into use as a shop and upper floor flats.

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“Whilst various sources of funding are contributing to the acquisition and renovation cost, the identified prudential borrowing is also required for the project to be fully funded.

“Its renovation will also help to enhance the viability and setting of the adjoining property, The Shades, which is also owned by the council and for which a major scheme of renovation is proposed.”

The report also states it will not be let as a hot food takeaway as it would be ‘detrimental to the letting and management of the flats’.

The grant funding would be made up from a £35,000 contribution from Homes England, £30,000 of townscape heritage grants and £8,000 of Section 106 contributions.

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The work will include alterations to the layout of both the upper floors and the shop unit in order to obtain satisfactory self-contained flat layouts and a suitable arrangement allowing access to the rear yard and bin stores for both the residential and commercial occupiers.

It will also include general building restoration work and work to the shop front, doors and windows.

The finance and policy committee meeting will take place on Monday at the Civic Centre from 10am.

Nic Marko , Local Democracy Reporting Service