£1.3m regeneration heralds fun times at the seaside

Featuring water jets and play equipment for children plus beach huts and picnic tables, the leisure area has been created on the southern end of the promenade on land including the site of the old paddling pool.

The new facility is part of wider improvements which have already been completed.

The nearby Grade II-listed art deco clock tower and bus station which occupies a key location at Seaton Carew’s southern entrance has undergone structural repairs and has been repaved, and in the autumn hundreds of bulbs will be planted in the grassed area in front to create an attractive springtime welcome for visitors and residents.

Meanwhile, a three metre high sculpture by Hartlepool artist Stuart Langley called ‘Waves’ was unveiled a few days ago at the other end of the prom, at Seaton Reach.

Reflecting the town’s maritime and industrial heritage, the sculpture includes pieces of sea glass which pupils from local schools helped to collect from the town’s beaches.

The Seaton Carew improvements were made possible thanks to a £600,000 contribution from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund and £100,000 from local company Able UK. The main contractor was local firm Deerness Fencing and Landscaping.

In a separate development, a new ten-hole crazy golf course will be created next to the leisure area by a private investor.

The new family leisure area was opened by Councillor Kevin Cranney, Chair of the Council’s Regeneration Services Committee, Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, the Leader of the Council, and Peter Stephenson, Executive Chairman of Able UK.

Councillor Cranney said: “We’re delighted that we’ve not only brought a new family attraction and a landmark sculpture to the prom – attracting more visitors and increasing trade - we’ve also been able to preserve and enhance the much-loved feature of the clock tower and bus station.”

Councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher, Chair of the Seaton Carew (Hartlepool) Coastal Community Team, which is made up of the Council and local business leaders and which supported the bid for the Government funding, said: “These improvements will bring lots of traditional seaside fun back to Seaton Carew.

“Add to this the lovely golden beach and Seaton Carew offers an unbeatable day out for all the family.”

Peter Stephenson, Executive Chairman of Able UK, added: “It’s great to see these improvements completed. Able UK has been delighted to support such a worthy cause and we see this very much as a legacy of the ground-breaking projects that we are undertaking at Able Seaton Port.

“Over half of our workforce are Hartlepool residents and we hope that they, the whole community and the very welcome visitors to Seaton Carew will enjoy this new and enhanced experience for many years to come.”

The Seaton Carew improvements are part of much wider Hartlepool Borough Council plans to regenerate key parts of Hartlepool including an ongoing £6m project to revitalise the Church Street area and turn it into a thriving creative industries quarter.