New affordable homes development granted permission in Hartlepool

A new housing development of 18 affordable homes has won planning permission close to Hartlepool town centre.
The Caroline Street site where new homes are proposedThe Caroline Street site where new homes are proposed
The Caroline Street site where new homes are proposed

Hartlepool Borough Council has given the green light to North Star Housing Group for the scheme on the site of a former health centre in Caroline Street off Elwick Road.

It is set to comprise a mix of two bedroom terraced houses, three bedroom semi detached homes and bungalows.

All are due to be affordable rent or rent to buy homes.

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The developer says it will provide a number of benefits to the area.

A report by Hartlepool Borough Council planning officer Laura Chambers stated: “The proposed development offers the opportunity to redevelop a previously developed site that is currently vacant, provides 100% onsite affordable homes and a number of bungalows secured using grant funding.

“The nature of the development proposed is in keeping with the existing land uses in the area and the dwellings have been designed to ensure high quality development that is appropriate to its location.

“The dwellings are proposed are intended to be for affordable rent, while not directly addressing the identified need for social rented products in the area, increasing the supply of affordable homes overall is beneficial.”

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The report added: “The properties are to be a combination of affordable rent and rent to buy, the scheme is therefore considered to provide 100% affordable homes.”

A total of 20 parking spaces and two visitor spaces are included in the scheme.

Some concerns about traffic were raised with the council.

But it stated: “Although concerns have been raised regarding parking and traffic in the area, it is difficult to give significant weight to this given the position of the Highway Authority.

“Also of note is that the proposed residential use of the site would be unlikely to generate the same scale of vehicle movements and parking pressures that the former use of the “site as a health centre would have.”

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The development is due to be carried out by Hartlepool firm Gus Robinson Developments on behalf of North Star Housing Group.

In a design and access statement, the applicants said: “The proposed development offers a great opportunity to redevelop a brownfield site consisting of disused facilities to provide 18 new build properties for affordable rent and rent to buy to meet local identified requirements within an established and sustainable settlement – upon a site that already benefits from an outline approval.”