Hartlepool's latest hotel - with a difference - prepares to receive hundreds of kittiwakes

Danish energy company Ørsted has announced that the distinctive premises in Ferry Road, Hartlepool, are expected to be finished at the beginning of March, and has the capacity to house more than 1,000 kittiwakes.

Kittiwakes are a seabird species currently on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern’s red list and, according to the RSPB, their numbers have declined by 40% globally since the 1970s.

The nesting site, which can be seen from the Headland and is being constructed with the help of Balfour Beatty, is made up of one tower about 35ft high, which can house up to 800 kittiwakes, and four cabin-like buildings, which can house up to 500 birds.

Rob Holtom, project director at Ørsted, said: “We’ve worked really hard to find a suitable location for the structure.

"We had the option to go offshore, near shore and then onshore, and out of those, being onshore is our preference.

"It’s a lot more accessible so we can monitor and interact with the birds without too many complications.”

Ørsted is funding the project four years ahead of its planned construction of a wind farm off the coast of Hartlepool in a bid to help protect the endangered species.

The birds which choose to nest at the site will be monitored and looked after for at least 40 years, which is the expected lifespan of the Ørsted wind farm.

More than 100 kittiwakes regularly nest near the RNLI lifeboat station, in Ferry Road, Hartlepool, and Ørsted hopes its new structure will encourage birds to use the new facility.

Rob said: “Generally, the birds go to the same nest every year.

"When youngsters hatch, they’ll go out to sea and when they come back we’d like them to come back here.

"It’ll take a lot of pressure off the people who live in the area so they’re not nesting in their homes and on buildings.”

The artificial nests are made up of 22cm-deep shelves which mimic cliff faces which kittiwakes are known to like out in the wild.

The wooden huts have been made using larch, which is a British wood that naturally weathers over time “to give more of an authentic look”.

Richard Swan, construction manager at Ørsted, said: “We want to keep in with the heritage of this place, that’s why the buildings are made to look like fisherman’s huts to blend in.”

They have also been built around 9ft off the ground to protect them from predators.

To attract the birds, Ørsted is going to place around 100 3D-printed artificial kittiwakes onto the structure’s ledges, which have been made using recycled materials.

The structure uses one-way glass with hatches that can be opened to observe and monitor the birds.

Rob said: “The tower is circular as we don’t know what the kittiwakes will like.

"We’re exploring all of the options so that we know what they will like in the future, so then we can optimise what we offer and accommodate them.”