Chance to shape the future of sports facilities in Hartlepool - including new leisure centre to replace Mill House

Hartlepool Borough Council has commissioned an online survey to hear from people about attitudes towards exercise and facilities in the area.

The survey is open to all, but council officers are particularly keen to engage with people who do not normally use its facilities and those who are less active.

It will also include questions about the impact of Covid-19 on exercise patterns and what facilities are important to residents.

The survey, which comprises of 30 questions, is running until July 7th. The survey can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/activehartlepool and all information provided is kept anonymous.

It comes after earlier this year plans were announced for a multi-million pound investment to develop 21st Century leisure facilities across Hartlepool, including a new leisure centre on the Waterfront to replace the Mill House site.

The strategy also includes improvements to Brierton Sports Centre, Headland Sports Hall and Hartlepool Indoor Bowls Club.

Ian Gardiner, the council’s Head of Leisure, Recreation and Participation, said they want to know what would encourage residents to keep active in the town.

He said: “We hope the survey will enable us to find out more about people’s habits prior to the coronavirus emergency and what they would like to see post-lockdown.

“We are keen to find out what barriers are preventing people from being active and, in turn, understand how we can help overcome these in the future.

“The insight that it will provide will be key to the development of quality services and facilities going forward – including improvements at Headland Sports Hall, Brierton Leisure Centre and plans for the proposed new leisure centre on the Waterfront site – so I’d encourage as many people as possible to share their views with us.

“As well as helping to influence our future plans on a strategic level, the information from the survey will also assist us operationally in helping to shape what we deliver, how we deliver it, to whom and where, reflecting the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on our activity habits and needs.”

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