A major £1 million investment has been announced by Hartlepool Borough Council in its efforts to clean up and invest in its neighbourhoods.
The extra money – a combination of council and government funding – is part of Hartlepool’s Pride in Place programme and represents the biggest spending boost of its kind in a decade. The funding comes after the new Leader of the Council, Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, announced that the Council's number one priority for the coming year will be making Hartlepool's neighbourhoods cleaner and safer.
It will fund a series of intensive neighbourhood clean-ups, increased civil enforcement, CCTV improvements and repairs to play areas and damaged or worn street furniture such as road signs/markings and railings.
Councillor Pamela Hargreaves, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “People across Hartlepool have told us clearly that cleaning up our town is their number one priority, so we’ve made it the Council’s number one priority too.
“We are focusing on fixing the small things that make a big difference to how our streets and communities look and feel.”
Additional squads of workers are to be drafted in to tackle environmental issues such as litter, dog fouling, fly-tipping, graffiti and weeds, with improvements being delivered through Weeks of Action that will take place across the borough over coming months.
The first Week of Action is in Manor House and begins today (Monday 3 November).
The initiative includes £750,000 in Government funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, delivered by Hartlepool Borough Council in collaboration with the Hartlepool Board. The Council is also contributing an additional £300,000, bringing the total investment to over £1 million.
The Council has worked closely with Hartlepool’s MP, Jonathan Brash to lobby the Government for additional funding for the programme.
Councillor Hargreaves, added: “These Weeks of Action have taken a significant amount of planning, but it is the culmination of partnership working with our MP and the Hartlepool Board that we are now able to go further and faster in delivering on the priorities of local people.”
Commenting on the announcement, Jonathan Brash, Hartlepool MP, said: “This is the biggest clean-up operation in our town’s history, and I’m incredibly proud to have worked with our brilliant Council to secure this investment in our neighbourhoods. We all live in Hartlepool. We walk the same streets. We take our children to the same parks, the seaside, and our play areas. We are proud of our town and making it an even better place to live is what I fight for every single day.”
Work begins today (Monday 3rd November) and will see the money invested in projects across the borough by the end of March 2026. An additional £750,000 has also been allocated for further works from April 2026 onwards, bringing the total investment in neighbourhoods to £1.8m over the next 18 months.
The Hartlepool Board, which oversees the Pride in Place programme, brings together community representatives, businesses, strategic partners, and individuals with a deep connection to the borough. Their collaborative approach ensures that funding is directed where it will make the greatest difference.
This investment forms part of Hartlepool’s wider Pride in Place programme, which will deliver £20 million of funding over the next ten years. The programme is guided by three core themes: building thriving places, strengthening communities, and empowering people.
During each Week of Action, pop-up community hubs will bring together a range of services for residents focussing on four key themes – employment, skills and volunteering; community; safety and health.
This week, they will be located at:
- Kilmarnock Road Young People’s Centre - Thursday 6 November, 10am-2pm.
- Rift House Community Centre – Friday 7 November, 10am-2pm.
The Council is leading the campaign but also working closely with a range of partners, including Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade, the Probation Service, housing associations such as Thirteen and Home Group, community and voluntary sector organisations – as well as the “army” of volunteer litter pickers who already regularly give up their own time to clean up the town.
Urging more people to get involved, Councillor Hargreaves added: “Pick up a brush, get your spade out and become part of the solution! Help drive the town forward, help clean it up and help restore the pride. It’s time to act now. We need you, your town needs you!
“Together, we can build a cleaner, safer and more vibrant Hartlepool.”
As part of the initiative, the Council is working closely with a range of partners including Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade, housing associations such as Thirteen and Home Group and community and voluntary sector organisations.
Chief Inspector Andy Liddell of Hartlepool police said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Hartlepool Council and other partners to help make Hartlepool a welcoming and safe place to live.
“Our neighbourhood teams are working hard to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities and we’re looking forward to continuing that work as part of the Pride of Place campaign. If you have any concerns about crime or antisocial behaviour, you can call us on 101 or visit our website. Always call 999 in an emergency.”
Alan Turner, Head of Prevention & Engagement at Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “We’re proud to support Hartlepool Borough Council’s Pride in Place campaign and this fantastic £1m investment to improve local communities. Clean, safe neighbourhoods not only help prevent fires and other emergencies but also build pride and wellbeing across the town. By working together with residents and partners, we can make Hartlepool an even safer and stronger place to live.”
Angela Corner, Thirteen’s Head of Regeneration and Communities, said: “Following conversations with local people over the summer there’s been lots of feedback on what the priorities should be during the weeks of action and these are the things we’ll be focussing on.
“Our teams will be doing their bit to help with community clean-ups, talking to residents about any environmental or anti-social behaviour issues that need our attention, and offering advice on employment, training and how people can get involved in projects in their community.
“We’re all about encouraging community pride and working with local people to make our neighbourhoods nicer places to live, and so we’re giving this campaign our full support.”