Change of Use Bid for Greatham Home on the Outskirts of Hartlepool to a Holiday Let...

New Tourism Use Proposed for Long-Vacant High Street Property in Greatham

Tourism or Housing? Conservation Area Property Set for Holiday Let Conversion

27th Jan 2026

Plans have been submitted to change the use of a terraced property in the heart of a small Hartlepool Village into year-round short-term holiday let.

A Heritage and Planning Statement prepared by DNS Design Ltd sets out proposals for the property at 17 High Street in Greatham, which is currently classed as a single dwellinghouse but is now the subject of a planning application seeking the change of use to short-term holiday let. The property, a traditional two-bedroom house within the historic village, lies inside the designated Greatham Conservation Area, an area protected for its architectural character, settlement pattern and historic significance.

According to the Planning statement, the building will remain physically unchanged, with no external alterations and only minor non-structural internal works. The application acknowledges that while the house will continue to look like a normal home, its occupation by a succession of short-term visitors rather than a single household constitutes a “material change of use” in planning law. On that basis, the application has been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council to formally regulate and control the use, rather than allowing it to operate informally..

The document highlights that the property has been vacant for a prolonged period and was previously boarded up, a condition which is said to have detracted from the visual quality and vitality of Greatham High Street. The proposed change of use is presented as a way of bringing the building back into active use, improving its appearance, and ensuring ongoing maintenance in a prominent part of the village.

Operational controls form a central part of the proposal, with the accommodation limited to a maximum of four adults, restricted to short-term stays only, & no parties, events or large group bookings permitted.

Concerns it will become a De-Facto HMO

Noise curfews, visitor management rules and professional management arrangements are all set out as safeguards to protect neighbouring residents and prevent the property from functioning as an unmanaged party let or de facto HMO. The statement is explicit that the scheme does not create a house in multiple occupation and that the lawful fallback use as a single dwellinghouse would remain in place, allowing the property to revert to normal residential use at any time without further planning permission.

The application argues that the scheme aligns with national planning guidance on sustainable development, heritage protection and sustainable tourism, as well as Hartlepool’s Local Plan policies on design quality, conservation areas and sustainable communities. Particular emphasis is said to have been placed on the absence of physical harm to the conservation area, with the building’s external fabric and historic character left entirely intact.

The document also addresses potential local objections to the proposals, stating that off-street parking already exists at the front of the property and that the scale of the accommodation would not generate unacceptable traffic or highway pressures.

The statement frames the proposal as a form of small-scale, managed tourism development that preserves the character of Greatham, safeguards residential amenity and delivers public benefits through the reuse of a long-term vacant property. It argues that the planning balance falls clearly in favour of approval, citing heritage preservation, economic support for local tourism, and the regeneration of a previously boarded-up dwelling as outweighing any potential impacts.

Council Officials are expected to make a decision on the plans at the end of March 2026