Hartlepool Tall Ships Race 2023 bid: The costly mistakes chiefs will learn from if event returns

Earlier this year Hartlepool Borough Council announced they would be bidding to host the Tall Ships Races at the town’s marina in 2023, with the authority awaiting an announcement on whether they have been successful.

Members of the council Finance and Policy Committee praised the idea of hosting the event and the opportunities it would offer to businesses, schools, residents and more.

However councillors warned of the financial impact occurred when Hartlepool previously hosted the event in 2010 and urged them not make the same mistakes if selected to host in 2023.

Council chiefs noted they are progressing with a bid to the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) for £3million, which combined with the income from the event, would fully meet the costs of hosting in 2023 if the bid is successful.

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Coun Christopher Akers-Belcher, who was on the council in 2010, said costs then were £2million more than initially predicted and the council ‘had the scars to prove it’.

Therefore he stressed if Hartlepool is successful in its bid to host the event, they must not go over the budget earmarked from the TVCA.

He said: “This is about safeguarding the people of Hartlepool.

“Picking up on the point around local businesses thriving out of this, that is what did not happen last time.

“Any profit out of Tall Ships went straight down the A1, it didn’t stay in Hartlepool, it disappeared.

“We need some assurance so we get the public confidence about what we are doing, that we are going to learn from 2010.

“I would like to be very clear…that it is not going to cost the council tax payer in Hartlepool a penny to host it, they are only going to be the beneficiaries of it.”

Councillors unanimously agreed the potential funding agreement they enter into with the TVCA would be the total costs to deliver the event if they are successful.

Council leader Coun Shane Moore said it would be a huge boost to Hartlepool if they get the opportunity to host the event in 2023.

He said: “Hopefully, if we are successful, I’d like to think this could be a fantastic opportunity for Hartlepool.

“It will help our local businesses, especially those on Navigation Point and the marina area, as well as the wider ISQ (Innovation and Skills Quarter) and town centre.”

He added he was left ‘in horror’ after viewing the budget for the 2010 event in Hartlepool but added funding arrangements are being lined up to make sure the same issues would not occur.

Coun Moore said: “The fact the Combined Authority are looking to fund the entire event for us, removes the level of risk.

“Having scoured over the budget for the last event I was in horror at some of the decisions that were made.

“We learnt from those, like we do with many lessons in life, we learnt from those and will make sure we don’t repeat them”

Many councillors also praised how hosting the event would be brilliant for the heritage and culture of the area and ‘put Hartlepool back on the map’ moving forward.

The announcement of the bid to host the event in 2023 was made in March by the council– working in partnership with the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool, PD Ports and Hartlepool Marina Ltd.

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