Hartlepool civic centre and former magistrates court among list of assets proposed to be transferred to new mayoral corporation

Key Hartlepool Borough Council owned buildings including the Mill House Leisure Centre, Civic Centre and the magistrates court are proposed to be passed to the town’s new Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC).

Conservative Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who leads the body which has met twice to date, has said it will help transform Hartlepool by “driving investment and cutting red tape”.

Other council owned assets proposed to be transferred to the MDC include Aneurin Bevan House in Avenue Road and Hartlepool Indoor Bowls Club.

Non-council owned assets on the list include a stretch of land on the east side of Avenue Road near Hartlepool police station and Oakesway Industrial Estate.

In February, Labour councillors raised concerns about the list of assets subject to transfer proposals not being made public, and raised a motion to do so, which was defeated.

At the time leading council officers said the list was not public due to negotiations on safeguards and protections for the assets continuing, and it would be made public once agreements were reached.

Councillors did ultimately unanimously approve moving forward with the creation of the Hartlepool MDC.

Council chiefs say the transfer of the named assets to the MDC is “currently subject to a consultation exercise being delivered by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities”, which is due to end in June 2023.

A spokesperson for the Hartlepool Mayoral Development Corporation said the council is responsible for “governance procedures in relation to the publication of the assets to be transferred” and has consulted “over many months.”

They added: “The whole reason for the MDC is to drive the economic regeneration of Hartlepool in line with the published masterplan – stimulating private sector investment and growth, creating partnerships to unlock investment in the town, and promoting Hartlepool to attract more inward investment.

“There is now a decision for the Secretary of State to make over whether the assets submitted should be transferred into the ownership of Hartlepool MDC after he consults the asset owners.”

The masterplan, titled “supercharging development in Hartlepool”, aims to deliver a vibrant town centre, attract 2,000 new quality jobs, renew Hartlepool’s waterfront and build up to 1,300 new homes.