Work to begin on demolishing Hartlepool's fire-hit former Admiral Court care home
Work is due to start this month to demolish a fire-hit former care home which has been "a real blight" on the area after plans were approved.
Proposals were initially submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council planning department at the end of last year to knock down the former Admiral Court care home in Cleveland Road.
This was followed by a revised prior notification application being lodged by local authority officers earlier this year providing more information on the proposed demolition.
The building has suffered numerous deliberate fires, vandalism and fly-tipping since it closed around ten years ago.
The latest proposals state Admiral Court is “no longer in use or serviceable” and work will begin this month and be completed in May.
It adds the process will involve the site being “levelled” and cleared.
A report from council planning officers has now confirmed the details provided in respect of the demolition are “acceptable”.
They ruled prior approval for the work to take place is “required and granted” and it can now proceed in accordance with the application.
Previous proposals noted due to the building being “fire damaged” it is “much cheaper to demolish” the structure than take other actions.
The decision notice states work should be restricted to 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and until 1pm on Saturdays, with thorough safety measures in place at all times.
It comes after in February 2025 the council served the owners of Admiral Court with a notice giving them four months to “repair or demolish the building”.
Speaking at the time, Headland and Harbour councillor Matthew Dodds described the action as “great news” and labelled the site an “eyesore” and “a real blight on the ward for such a long time”.
In 2023 Admiral Court was one of the top three properties in the town on a derelict buildings hit list of 27 sites which council chiefs were aiming to tackle.
It has been empty since it closed as a care home in mid-2015 after inspectors found a number of failings and it has since suffered significant damage due to trespassers and arson.
Metal shutters were installed in 2021 after action by the council, police and fire service to restrict access.
Details of local public notices are available at www.publicnoticeportal.uk/