The museum – based at Jackson Dock and formerly known as the National Museum of the Royal Navy – will now be selling the 58,000-square-foot, neighbouring Vision Retail Park – which was bought in 2022 with the aid of £3.4m funding from Hartlepool Borough Council. The cash will be returned to the local authority.
The move follows the publication of the Royal Navy Museums’ new 2025-2030 strategy which concluded that developing a major new gallery at the site would not provide the sustainable return on investment or attract the level of external funding required to proceed.
A spokesperson for RNM said: “The decision comes at an exciting time for Hartlepool. The Waterfront is already undergoing significant transformation, with new leisure, cultural and heritage investment creating an increasingly important destination for residents and visitors. Significant investment has been made in recent months to improve connectivity around the Waterfront area with new footpaths, wayfinding and highway infrastructure being completed. These developments create an opportunity to build a stronger, more connected Waterfront visitor destination in which Hartlepool’s local maritime heritage and the national story of the Royal Navy can reinforce one another.”
Matthew Sheldon, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Navy Museums, said: “Our commitment to Hartlepool is long-standing. Royal Navy Museums and Hartlepool Borough Council have worked together for many years with a shared ambition for the Waterfront and Hartlepool’s remarkable maritime heritage, and the decision to sell the Vision Retail Park reflects that same constructive partnership and a pragmatic approach to changing circumstances.”
He added: “By repaying the council’s original £3.4 million grant and enabling the site to contribute to wider Waterfront regeneration, the sale allows Royal Navy Museums to focus its resources where they can have the greatest and most sustainable impact. We are proud of what our partnership has achieved and look forward to continuing to work with the council to create a thriving Waterfront that attracts visitors, creates opportunities and celebrates Hartlepool’s distinctive maritime story for generations to come.”
Councillor Rob Darby, chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Housing, Growth and Communities Committee, said: “The proposed sale of the Vision Retail Park presents a significant opportunity as we continue to build momentum across Hartlepool Waterfront. The council’s ambition is to create an inclusive and growing economy, attracting investment, creating employment opportunities and ensuring that regeneration delivers lasting benefits for local communities.”
He added: “The Waterfront is already seeing substantial investment, including the opening of Highlight and the significant investment in improving connectivity around the site. The opportunity to bring the site back into use alongside these developments has the potential to increase activity, strengthen the local visitor and economic offer and create job opportunities for our residents.”
The museum will continue to work closely with Hartlepool Borough Council and the Tees Valley Combined Authority as plans for the Waterfront develop.
