Rethink on Hartlepool four-star hotel plans after new leisure centre approved for site

A four-star hotel was previously pencilled in for land at the former Jackson’s Landing site, which has now been chosen as the area to develop a new flagship leisure attraction on the Waterfront.

Speaking at Hartlepool Borough Council Finance and Policy Committee, councillors said the hotel ambitions, which formed part of the Waterfront Masterplan, are still going ahead with other nearby sites being looked at.

Trincomalee Wharf is one area which will be looked at according to councillors, while it was noted the former Jackson’s Landing site would not have been cost-efficient for a hotel regardless.

Council leader Coun Shane Moore said: “There is still the ambition for a better-quality hotel, it’s just about rejigging things.

“Since we’ve had the site investigation work back following on from the masterplan work that was done previously, it was suggested that where we had originally hoped to have a hotel, it probably wouldn’t be cost efficient because of the underpinning that would have been required.”

Coun Christopher Akers-Belcher, chair of the regeneration services committee, said he hoped the Trincomalee Wharf site would become the preferred option.

He said: “Just because the Waterfront development will go forward for leisure, that hasn’t discounted the ongoing negotiations of the council and the National Museum of the Royal Navy regarding a hotel.

“It will just mean that our preferred option hopefully will be Trincomalee Wharf, rather than the Waterfront site.”

Council chiefs previously stated they planned to develop the Waterfront site as a landmark destination with a mix of leisure and visitor facilities.

This would include a hotel, exhibition space, water activity centre and new visitor attraction to complement the restaurants, cafes, bars and shops within the wider Hartlepool Marina area.

Phase one of the project has already been completed, which included the development of a “Linear Park” around the boundary of the site including new footpaths, planting, seating and lighting.

Council chief executive Gill Alexander said they were ‘confident’ they can achieve the original ambitions set out in the masterplan for the site.