Hartlepool's closed Inspirations Garden Centre site set to become bungalows development after land sale approved

Hartlepool Borough Council Finance and Policy Committee has unanimously approved plans to sell land on Tanfield Road, home to the former Inspirations Garden Centre, to a developer to provide bungalows in the town.

The site houses the garden centre, which closed in 2018, and part of the car park operated by the council.

It is presently being used as welfare facilities for the nearby Stranton Cemetery grave diggers.

Denise McGuckin, council director of regeneration and neighbourhoods, said there is a demand for bungalows in the town which could be supported by the site.

She said: “The sites are in a popular residential area and clearly have potential for residential development.

She added the need for bungalows in the area is identified in the council housing strategy.

Council chiefs marketed the site and went out to tender, which they said meant they could compare bids.

They considered a similar development through its own council housing revenue account (HRA), but ruled a method by this means did not compare favourably with the bid approved.

Council leader Coun Shane Moore said: “I’m really pleased with what’s come back from this tendering process if I’m honest. It’s been much better than many of us would have hoped for.

“I am also very pleased we did consider building this within the HRA and it would be good practice if we did this with all of our site disposals in the future.”

Councillors also praised how the sale of the land will provide a financial boost to the council, and help them reach their remaining capital receipts target of £2.411million.

Coun Christopher Akers-Belcher said: “I think it’s really good that we will have a significant contribution towards that.”

Councillors on the committee previously agreed the sale of sites of land in Hart and Brierton Lane, which will also come off the capital target once finalised.

The committee also agreed to delegate authority to the director of regeneration and neighbourhoods in consultation with the chief solicitor and chair of finance and policy committee to agree the detailed terms of the sale contract.