Work has started on a key phase of the town’s £18.5m Screen Industries Production Village, bringing Hartlepool a step closer to becoming a major hub for film, television and digital production.
Meanwhile Historic England has awarded £909,500 to restore two vacant Church Street buildings, safeguarding their future and supporting Hartlepool’s regeneration and Screen Industries Production Village.
A council spokesperson said: “The street is being resurfaced with high-quality granite paving, using the same material palette as the wider Screen Industries Production Village development, creating a distinctive and cohesive look across the area.The project will also deliver wider footpaths, providing improved facilities for pedestrians, while alterations to the junction with Exeter Street will make it easier for businesses to host outdoor events through temporary road closures while still maintaining access for deliveries and business parking. New heritage-style lighting columns will be installed to enhance the character of the area and improve lighting levels throughout the street.”
The works are scheduled for completion before Christmas, with resurfacing works outside Hartlepool railway station set to follow.
The buildings at 8 and 9 Church Street, which have stood vacant for a number of years, will undergo significant structural repairs to secure their future and pave the way for them to be brought back into use. The project will include urgent structural works, replacement of the gable wall, installation of support piles and ground beams, and roof replacement works to prevent further deterioration.
The properties form part of the Church Street Conservation Area, one of the town’s most historically significant locations. Once restored, they will play an important role in the wider expansion of the Northern Film Studios and Production Village project, helping to bring vacant buildings back into use while preserving Hartlepool’s heritage.
Hartlepool was one of only two locations in the North East to secure funding through the latest round of the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, which supports the protection and restoration of nationally important historic buildings.
Councillor Rob Darby, chair of the Housing, Growth and Communities committee, said: “This is fantastic news for Hartlepool and a significant vote of confidence in our vision for Church Street and the wider town centre. Securing £909,500 from Historic England will enable us to carry out essential repairs to safeguard two important heritage buildings, bringing them a step closer to being brought back into use and securing their future for generations to come.”
Louise Brennan, Director of Regions, Historic England, added: “This funding will support urgent conservation needs while helping projects move towards sustainable futures, whether through continued use, new uses or bringing valued buildings back into active use. We are pleased to support projects across England that demonstrate how investment in heritage can help create stronger, more distinctive and more vibrant places for the future.”
Further details on the programme of works and timescales for delivery will be announced in due course.
Scarborough Street is one of several major elements of the wider Screen Industries Production Village project that will move forward over the coming months. Restoration work on The Vaults pub and properties at 21-25 Whitby Street is due to begin in January 2027, while early restoration work on The Shades Hotel, one of Church Street’s most historic and iconic properties which will serve as the gateway to the development, is scheduled to start in November. Full restoration work which includes the neighbouring properties at 10-14 Church Street, is set to begin in January 2027.
Councillor Darby added: “The Screen Industries Production Village is one of the most exciting regeneration projects Hartlepool and the wider Tees Valley has ever seen. It is about much more than refurbishing buildings and improving streets. It is about creating a thriving creative quarter that will attract investment, support businesses, nurture talent and put Hartlepool firmly on the map as a destination for film, television and digital production. You can already see our vision taking shape and, as we move towards the development of the Screen Industries Production Village, there is real excitement about the opportunities this investment will bring for generations to come.”
The Screen Industries Production Village, incorporating the existing Northern Studios which are to be enhanced and expanded, is due to open in January 2028.
