Hartlepool to get £1million facelift with new road schemes, play areas, improvements and repairs

A programme of investment across Hartlepool totalling £1.1m has been approved by councillors.
Headland main square. Picture by FRANK REIDHeadland main square. Picture by FRANK REID
Headland main square. Picture by FRANK REID

A number of schemes to improve areas of the town are included in a Neighbourhood Investment Programme by Hartlepool Borough Council after ward councillors submitted various schemes.

They include new play areas at Seaton Carew, repair works at the Headland and work to improve ‘gateway’ roads through Hartlepool town centre.

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Priority schemes totalling £345,000 were approved by councillors on the authority’s Finance and Policy Committee a year ago.

They were for work at Rossmere Park, a new traffic route through Stranton Cemetery, play space on Coronation Drive at Seaton and improvement to King Oswy Drive shops.

Councillors approved £165,000 additional funding needed for those schemes yesterday plus funding for several other schemes totalling £677,000.

They include £400,000 to replace barriers between Stockton Street and Middleton Road.

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Councillor Leisa Smith raised concerns about the curved barriers proposed with horizontal bars compared to the vertical kind currently in place.

Chief executive Gill Alexander said: “They have actually been designed to make it difficult for children to climb over as they overhang.

“The intention was to try and get less of a harsh effect with the barriers and to have more of a wave effect and sense of arrival to the town.”

Coun Christopher Akers-Belcher, chair of the committee, recommended a town wide audit of barriers following comments.

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Enhancement works of £200,000 are proposed on roundabouts at key locations to add to the sense of arrival.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy may be able to provide artefacts which would create gateway features.

Two new play areas are due to be added to Coronation Drive totalling £70,000.

A document detailing the investment programme stated: “The objective of these sites is to provide a linear play park that follows the promenade, offering increased opportunities for families to use the site and encouraging improvements in health and wellbeing through physical activity.”

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The Headland is set to benefit from £77,000 regeneration works including repairs to Town Square and Union Street railings.

A children’s slide and tower play feature recently vandalised on the Headland are due to be replaced using part of £70,000 previously allocated funding.

Denise Ogden, director of regeneration and neighbourhoods said: “The total costs of the works is £1.187 leaving a balance of £313,000.”