Change of Use Plans Submitted for Grade II Listed Building...

The Change of Use of Ward Jackson Lodge will allow its new tenants to turn the building into an educational & learning centre....

19th Sep 2025

A new chapter could soon begin for one of Hartlepool’s most historic park buildings, as plans have been submitted to transform Ward Jackson Park Lodge, a Grade II listed building, into an educational and learning centre.

The council-owned lodge, built in 1883, was previously used as offices before being placed up for tender in March this year. Hartlepool Borough Council invited proposals to bring the building back into productive use, and the successful tenant 'Lifestyle North East' now aims to give it a new lease of life through education.

The lodge, primarily designed as the parkkeeper’s residence, is a two-storey red brick building with striking sandstone detailing. Its distinctive features include:

Although modest in scale, the architectural detailing gives the lodge a civic presence befitting its location at Hartlepool's Ward Jackson Park. It forms part of a wider group of listed features within the park, including the bandstand, clock tower, fountain, and war memorial. The park itself is a Grade II Registered Park and Garden and has been part of the towns Conservation Area since 1979.

The application seeks permission to change the building’s use from Class E(c)(ii) (offices and consultancies) to Class F1 (learning and non-residential institutions), where its said that No physical alterations are proposed to the building inside or out, with all historic and architectural features to be preserved.

The proposed change is purely in use, not in structure, ensuring the building’s character and relationship with the park remain intact.

If approved, the proposal will see this important building once again play a meaningful role in the life of the town—this time as a hub for learning.

A decision on the plans is expected by early November 2025.