Plans to alter major housing development at former Hartlepool school site to include more large houses

Hartlepool Borough Council planning department had previously granted permission for 84 ‘executive’ homes at the former Henry Smith School site in King Oswy Drive.

Work is well underway with the development with many plots finished but applicant Wynyard Homes wants to make changes to the third phase of work to replace smaller units with more detached properties.

The work will involve a reduction of five homes in the development and more larger properties becoming available.

A planning statement said: “Work is well underway on the site with a lot of the plots finished.

“As the site has progressed, the demand for detached / bigger properties has increased.

“Phase 3 currently has planning for smaller detached properties and therefore a perfect opportunity to substitute the plots for larger units.

“Although the street scene will look different, the house types will remain the same as the other phases of the development, keeping a consistent design approach throughout.”

The proposed work involves splitting four semi-detached homes into four detached units.

Plots 68 to 75 are also to be substituted for larger detached units, with a couple of larger three-bedroom semi-detached plots involved.

They are also proposing to detach a road from the existing adjacent development, to prevent through traffic and pedestrian use as the site currently attracts unruly behaviour from neighbouring properties.

Neighbours have been notified of the plans and no objections have been received, with one letter of support to date.

Henry Smith School, in King Oswy Drive, closed in 2001 before re-opening as St Hild’s C of E School, which then relocated to a new building on the same road when the original site was demolished in 2004.

Plans were first approved by the planning department in 2013 to begin work on a housing development at the former school site in King Oswy Drive.

The council planning department will make a decision on if the amendments to the current plans are acceptable in the coming months.

Nic Marko , Local Democracy Reporting Service