Mayor candidate's digital theme park and 'tourist hot spot' plan for Hartlepool

The state-of the-art attraction was the pledge of Labour candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs as she unveiled her manifesto for the ballot in May.

Jacobs is keen to invest heavily to turn the region into a magnet for visitors and says she will set aside a £30m fund to invest in tourism and culture sectors – including a digital playground packed with immersive virtual reality and cutting-edge 4D rides for Hartlepool.

She said: “Hartlepool is a brilliant place with fantastic people and they deserve the best after suffering a decade of cuts under Tory governments.

"I will ensure every town in the Tees Valley has a world class quality tourist attraction that will bring visitors and money to the area, create jobs and raise the profile of our amazing region."

She added “I believe that, with the strength of this area in tech and digital, we can create a pioneering facility in Hartlepool that will be a game-changer for tourism, attract visitors from across the country and generate wealth and pride.

"This area is lagging badly behind the rest of the country when it comes to investment in culture and leisure assets and opportunities and I want to change that.”

She said the town will also benefit from a share of a planned £20m investment in clean, green industries and tech start-up support that will provide future-proofed jobs in emerging new sectors.