Plans lodged for new bar with roof terrace next to longstanding Hartlepool rehab centre

Plans have been submitted to Hartlepool Development Corporation for a change of use for 12 Whitby Street including alterations to the inside and exterior.

The premises, which falls within the Church Street Conservation Area, is currently vacant and boarded up.

The plans include the creation of a roof terrace.

Agents for the application say the planned alterations will reflect the historic character of the building and surrounding area.

But some objections have been lodged from near neighbours including a substance rehab and supported housing accommodation right next door.

The agent for the applicant, who lives locally, says in a design statement: “The overall appearance and layout of the proposal are considered by the applicant to be a significant improvement to the character and appearance of the site and conservation area more generally.”

They go on to say in a heritage statement the proposals are “relatively minor in scale” adding: “They relate mainly to internal modifications of an existing building, although the application is proposing a modest restoration of the frontage of the property that reflects the historic character of the building itself as well as reflecting the character of the local context.”

The design statement adds: "The application also proposes the restoration of a shopfront that reflects the architectural language found across the Church Street Conservation Area, with assets such as panelled stallrisers, distinctive doorways, and ornate features, as shown within the supporting plans and elevations.

"Furthermore, this scheme aims to introduce a roof terrace that includes iron ballustrades that, again, reflect the historical information found within this statement.”

But Reach Out Ministries next door, which has been helping people to get free from substances and alcohol, feel the proposed bar would not be good for its residents.

Another near neighbour is also objecting over noise fears, especially late at night, and loss of privacy from the roof terrace.

They say the area already suffers from drunken antisocial behaviour including people urinating and being sick in the street linked to bars on Church Street.

People can comment on the application via Hartlepool Borough Council’s online planning portal by the reference number H/2024/0153.