£4million approved for Elwick Bypass

At a meeting of the Combined Authority Cabinet, it was agreed to invest the cash into the £18million scheme for Hartlepool’s Western Growth Corridor, which will provide an extra route into the town and unlock land for housing development.

It would also assist in the building of around 1,500 new homes to the west of Hartlepool, as set out in the town’s Local Plan, leveraging at least £200million in private sector investment into homes, infrastructure and facilities. 

At present, Hartlepool only has two main road routes in and out of the town for the A19. The new road proposals would create a bypass for the village of Elwick and deliver an upgrade to the current Elwick North junction to the A19, to give a third route into Hartlepool.

The scheme would relieve pressure on existing access points to allow them to support economic growth elsewhere, such as the Port and three Enterprise Zones.

Funding from the Authority, to be delivered from 2019 to 2021, joins investment of £9.65million from Hartlepool Borough Council. The Combined Authority and Hartlepool Borough Council will also work alongside Homes England to secure a further £4.18million funding to drive the scheme forward.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This funding shows we are fully committed to this new road, which will unlock new, good-quality, affordable homes and vitally, make getting around safer, quicker and easier for years to come.

“There’s huge change happening in Hartlepool where we’ve already invested £4million for CCAD’s new campus and £5million to revamp Church Street – but there’s so much more to do. The new bypass for Elwick is just another example of how we’re delivering for the people of Hartlepool.

The Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and Cabinet Member for the Combined Authority, Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, said: “This funding, which is in addition to the £9.65 million we have already identified, is fantastic news and will help provide a welcome third route into Hartlepool.

“The new road, which is a key part of our Local Plan, will play a vital part in the continued growth and prosperity of the borough and unlock land for housing development.

“It will also substantially reduce traffic through Elwick and help to improve road safety.

“We are now working with Homes England to identify a further £4.18million to drive the scheme forward as housing growth is a Government priority.”