£45,000 'urgent' repair works set to be carried out on two planned Hartlepool children's homes

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs have said the Star Centre in Flint Walk requires “urgent” building works to make the site safe.

It comes after the local authority’s planning committee unanimously approved proposals earlier this year to convert the property into two children’s homes.

A council decision record from the managing director outlines how the work will make the building safe ahead of planned refurbishments to enable the new use to happen.

It said: “Urgent works are required to ensure the building is safe and can not wait until November for committee approval”.

Reports on the additional refurbishment works are to be presented before meetings of the finance and policy committee and full council later this month.

The cost of the immediate repairs are estimated to around £45,000 and will be funded from a Star Centre unscheduled maintenance budget already in place.

Documents from local authority chiefs added, subject to the decision of full council at the end of November, this funding will be replaced if plans to carry out prudential borrowing are approved.

The urgent repairs were agreed by the council’s managing director in consultation with council leader Councillor Mike Young, the chair of children’s services committee Councillor Jim Lindridge and senior officers.

The planning application approved earlier this year stated the building was originally developed as a children’s home, before being used by staff as office space.

The site will be used as children’s homes to prevent looked after children having to be sent outside of the Hartlepool area.