'Significant progress' made in bid to build bypass on edge of Hartlepool

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs stressed the plans, which includes a grade separated junction linked to the A19 and a new highway north of Elwick,, remain a priority.

Denise McGuckin, the council’s managing director, said the proposals would help tackle congestion on the major A689 and the A179 roads.

Giving an update to Monday’s finance and policy committee meeting, she added progress has taken “some time” and has been impacted by the pandemic.

She said: “There’s a number of landowners we have to work with as well, so it has been extremely challenging.

“In the last few months significant progress has been made and we are now about to commence what is known as a road safety audit stage 1 and this will be submitted to National Highways for approval.

“Once this stage has been approved this will enable council to confirm the exact land requirements and then hopefully we can reach a land acquisition deal.”

She added if they cannot reach a deal with landowners then they will look at using compulsory purchase orders (CPOs)

Council leader Councillor Shane Moore said ideally they will reach settlements with landowners, adding: “Ultimately the CPO process would take a set amount of time and we’d rather get that started sooner rather than later because the scheme has been delayed and we need to progress with it.”

The near one-mile long road will run from the locally named Devil’s Elbow, in Elwick Road, to the existing A19 junction at North Lane and cost an estimated £18.5m.

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