Plans approved for beauty academy on former Hartlepool nightclub site

Hartlepool Borough Council planning department has approved plans to convert units in the Gemini Centre in Villiers Street into a beauty academy.

The site was home to The Gemini Club in the 1980s, which was later demolished and new buildings were built on the site, including the Gemini Centre.

The units to be converted were previously used as offices and a cafe and other units still used at the centre include The Bridge, which offers dementia advice and support.

It is proposed the beauty academy will offer 10 new jobs, five full-time and five part-time.

A statement on behalf of applicant DPP Planning outlined the plans for the site which will be occupied by Learning Curve, who deliver training courses to businesses, further education providers and individuals.

It said: “The proposed development intends to provide a training facility in which Learning Curve can offer beauty training courses to predominantly unemployed individuals.

“The training taking place at the centre will be in the form of a beauty academy.

“The training will be delivered to learners aged 16+, of which the majority of them will be unemployed.

“In a town such as Hartlepool, in which 33% of its neighbourhoods are within the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK, this training facility will significantly benefit the area.”

The statement added the overall achievement rate of Learning Curve training programmes stands at 93%, with an average of 60% of those learners subsequently gaining employment as a result of the programmes.

The plans were submitted in December last year to the council before recently being given the go-ahead by planning officers, and no objections were received.

The ground floor will facilitate 26-week programmes where learners will be attending sessions across a timetable running from 9am to 9pm.

Classes will be timetabled for them to attend either during the day or evening, depending on their circumstances.

The first floor will facilitate shorter 3-4 week programmes delivered 2/3 days per week during the hours of 9am-5pm.

The applicant estimated during the course of the year around 1,000 people will take part in courses over both floors.

Nic Marko , Local Democracy Reporting Service