Town Deal projects take major step forward

Published Monday, 25th April 2022

Two of the projects proposed as part of the £25m Hartlepool Town Deal are to be submitted to the Government for approval following the development of detailed business cases.

Hartlepool Borough Council’s Finance and Policy Committee agreed to forward the proposals for Health and Care and Civil Engineering Academies to the Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing (DLUCH).

DLUCH will release funding once it is happy for the projects to proceed after reviewing the business cases.

Hartlepool was one of 100 towns across England invited by the Government to develop innovative regeneration plans and potentially secure up to £25 million. The Council was informed last summer that it had been awarded the full amount.

The submission of the two business cases now represents a major step forward for the Hartlepool Town Deal following months of painstaking behind-the-scenes work.

Alby Pattison, Chair of the Hartlepool Town Deal Board which brings together representatives of the local public, private and voluntary sectors, said: “The submission of these business cases is a significant milestone and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work in getting us to this point.”

Denise McGuckin, Managing Director of Hartlepool Borough Council, added: “The proposed academies represent an investment in the future of our residents, offering them defined career paths whilst addressing a serious skills shortage in both sectors. It is really exciting that we are now in a position to submit the business cases to the Government.”

The Health and Care Academy is a partnership between North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and Hartlepool College of Further Education, with the Council acting as the accountable body. Located in Ward 10 at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, it is estimated that over 3,000 learners with pass through its doors every year.

The Civil Engineering Academy, based at sites in Brenda Road and Exeter Street, is a strategic partnership between Seymour Civil Engineering and Hartlepool College of Further Education. It aims to provide a range of construction, welding and civil engineering qualifications to more than 1,000 students a year.

Business cases are still being finalised for three other Hartlepool Town Deal projects – the re-imagining of Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, the redevelopment of the fire-damaged former Wesley Chapel and improving the connectivity of The Waterfront with other parts of the town.

It is expected that these will be ready for submission to the Government later this summer.

More information about the Hartlepool Town Deal is available at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/HartlepoolTownDeal