Hartlepool's Havelock Day Centre due to be demolished this summer

Proposals have been submitted by Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs to gain permission to demolish the empty building in Havelock Street in early August 2020.

The site was previously a day centre for people with disabilities, offering craft and social activities, advice on benefits, care, disability issues, respite care and more.

However the services offered from the site were incorporated into the Hartlepool Centre For Independent Living in Burbank Street when it opened in 2017, leaving the Havelock Centre vacant since then.

It is proposed to carry out the demolition commencing on August 3rd.

Council chiefs began plans to demolish the site last year, however were held up over concerns there were bats nesting at the site.

A bat survey report, carried out by Naturally Wild, said at least one bat was reported to be using the building in September 2019.

However surveys carried out in October 2019, May 2020 and June 2020 indicate the building is not currently in use by roosting bats.

It said: “Due to the small number of bats present (potentially a single bat) and the time of year at which roosting was recorded, it is considered likely that the building was being used as temporary shelter or as a transitional/occasional roost prior to hibernation, and is now not in active use.

“It is also considered that the relatively significant presence of herring gulls in the area may contribute to deterring bats.

“On the basis of the above, it is considered unlikely that bats would be encountered during demolition works.”

Responding to the application, Councillor Shane Moore, council leader, offered his ‘complete support for the application’.

Cllr Moore, posting on Facebook, said: “After a delay with bats taking up residency during the winter the planning application has been submitted for the old Havelock Centre to be demolished and site cleared ready for future use.

“The building has sat empty for too long now and is causing problems in the local neighbourhood.”

A decision on the demolition is expected to be made by the council planning department by the end of the month.

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