Bungalows Approved on Land at Dumfries Road – Despite Land Ownership Row and Resident Objections...

L:and at Dumfries Rd, Hartlepool

The plans have now been formally approved almost a year later than expected after numerous issues regarding resident objections & land ownership disputes arose on the land formally owned by Hartlepool Borough Council.

9th July 2025

An application seeking planning permission for the construction of three bungalows on a contested stretch of land off Dumfries Road in Hartlepool has now been formally approved—despite local objections, longstanding access concerns, and claims that parts of the site are under adverse possession by nearby residents.

The decision to approve the development has come almost a year later than expected, after the proposals were initially brought before Hartlepool Borough Council’s Planning Committee back in April 2024, when they were deferred due to numerous ownership disputes. Now, HBC Exposed can confirm that the plans have now been officially signed off by the councils planning department—despite the legal complexities still said to be looming in the background.

The land in question was said to have been originally owned by Hartlepool Borough Council, but in what appears to have been an administrative blunder, it was excluded from the controversial 2003 housing stock transfer to what is now Thirteen Housing Group Ltd. The omission left the land in a sort of bureaucratic limbo—unused, unmanaged, and increasingly problematic.

For over a decade, its claimed the land remained disused, prompting several local residents to submit adverse possession claims to the land registry—essentially asserting ownership rights over the portions they had maintained or used. Instead of addressing these claims head-on, Hartlepool Borough Council, in a move that raised eyebrows locally, instead chose to sell the problem directly to a private housing developer around 2022.

By its own admission, Hartlepool Borough Council informed the developer about the ongoing ownership disputes, but opted to proceed with the sale anyway—reportedly to avoid mounting legal costs, which could have spiralled into tens of thousands of pounds. Residents say this decision ignored the fact that multiple homes had already extended their gardens or built on parts of the land, under the assumption it was abandoned.

Council Officers Back Approval Despite Legal Gray Area

In June 2024, following a site visit, council planning officers controversially recommended approval of the development. This came even though numerous formal objections had been submitted, including:

• Ongoing disputed ownership claims over parts of the site;

• Loss of access to the rear of neighbouring homes;

• Concerns over emergency vehicle access to the proposed bungalows.

  
  

These concerns were echoed by a number of local residents at the time, many of whom felt the council was sweeping the ownership issues under the carpet in order to facilitate another private development—regardless of community impact or legal clarity.

Under a new Labour-led administration, the Planning Committee met on 19th June 2024 to finally consider the application in full. Despite previous delays, councillors approved the plans, giving the green light for the three bungalows to be built.

What Happens Next?

What remains unclear is how the approved development will proceed on a site that is still, at least in part, under legal challenge. If residents who’ve made adverse possession claims decide to press ahead with formal legal action, it could create serious complications for the developer and—once again—place Hartlepool Borough Council in the crosshairs for poor asset management.

Its said to be yet another case of how past mistakes and administrative failings continue to haunt Hartlepool Borough Council, even decades down the line, where the decision to offload contested land to avoid litigation could potentially now backfire, dragging the council back into the courtroom over a situation of its own making, not to mention the fact that despite being approved back in June 2024, it seems only formal approval by the council was made recently, over a year after councillors had backed proposals for the development to be given the go ahead .