Affordable housing vision for Hartlepool's Lynn Street, Whitby Street and historic Market Hotel land, creating 47 homes and 250 jobs

The Grade-II listed Market Hotel site is among the locations listed for housing development, after heritage chiefs concluded its state of disrepair meant the building's historic significance had been diminished.

Hartlepool Borough Council bosses want to provide the 47 affordable rented housing units, which will be owned and managed by the local authority, across three sites in the town centre area.

The sites are on land in Lynn Street, which is currently home to a council depot, land in Whitby Street, currently home to the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre, and the site of the derelict Market Hotel.

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The council depot off Lynn Street is another proposed site for affordable housing

A report from Chris Little, council director of resources and development, states it is proposed the three sites are demolished and the land remediated so it is suitable for residential development.

The project would come forward as part of the Brownfield Housing Fund, set up by the Government as part of its Covid-19 recovery strategy.

As part of this strategy, £19million was secured by the Tees Valley Combined Authority to support development of housing schemes on brownfield land over the next five years.

The report from Mr Little, which will go before the council finance and policy committee on Monday January 25, states the development will have big benefits for the Innovation and Skills Quarter (ISQ) of the town where it is located.

Hartlepool Borough Council plans for housing sites around Lynn Street.

He said: “The scheme will provide affordable housing for those in housing need within the borough.

“The scheme is an important initiative that will contribute to the council’s regeneration of Hartlepool ISQ which is a strategic employment location for digital and creative industries in Tees Valley.

“The scheme will deliver good quality, affordable homes to attract workers and support the vibrancy and labour supply to the ISQ, encouraging the success of this key regeneration initiative.

“This scheme will support council and Tees Valley in delivering their regeneration aims for a strategic employment site, creating 250 jobs, bringing vacant and derelict uses back into productive use and improving the vibrancy, attractiveness and viability of the ISQ.”

He adds the successful delivery of the scheme will first require the relocation of the Drug and Alcohol Centre and the Reed Street Depot.

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Alternative locations for both of these sites are being identified and the estimated relocation costs associated with this have been factored into the business case.

Meanwhile Historic England has inspected the Grade-II listed Market Hotel site, which has been vacant since June 2007, and is of the opinion that the building does not have ‘significant heritage value’ due to its current state of disrepair.

The project is currently under development and the planning submission is expected in the coming weeks, with a decision hoped for by May 2021.

If approved, the aim would be to complete the delivery of 47 new ‘affordable and energy efficient homes’ for rent by 31st May 2023 at the latest.

The finance and policy committee on Monday will be asked to refer to full council the signing off of prudential borrowing of £4.744million to help facilitate the development.

Overall 43% of the scheme will be funded from grant funding and 57% from prudential borrowing.

The site would feature seven units at the site of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre, four units at the Market Hotel site, and 36 at the depot site.

Out of the 47 properties 15 would be two bedroom terraced/semi-detached houses, seven would be two-bedroom bungalows and 25 would be three-bedroom town houses.

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