Council To Close Rear Access to a Town Street After 53 Fires and Tonnes of Fly-Tipping is Removed.
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
14th July 2026
Hartlepool Borough Council has approved the closure of vehicle access to land behind dozens of homes on Bruntoft Avenue in Hartlepool, following persistent problems with fly-tipping, deliberate fires and vandalism.
Members of the council’s Neighbourhood and Regulatory Services Committee agreed at a meeting held on the 30th of June 2026 to prohibit vehicles from entering the council-owned land behind numbers 21 to 89 on the odd-numbered side of Bruntoft Avenue on a permanent basis. The decision means new gates for access to the rear of Bruntoft Avenue will be installed to prevent vehicles from accessing the land at the rear of the properties, while pedestrian access will remain available.
More than eight tonnes of waste removed
Ward councillors had asked council officers to find a long-term solution after the area became a repeated target for waste dumping and deliberately started fires.
Its claimed more than eight tonnes of rubbish had already been removed from the site as part of the council’s Pride in Place initiative, with Cleveland Fire Brigade reportedly called to an extraordinary 53 fires in the area between February 2025 and May 2026, placing additional pressure on emergency services and the council’s cleansing teams.
Attempts to tackle the behaviour through surveillance had failed, where its claimed two temporary CCTV cameras had been positioned near the access point which were then stolen or damaged beyond repair.
Previous gates were also unsuccessful because its claimed residents had been supplied with the keys, allowing the entrance to remain accessible. The committee was told that the gates were regularly left open and their locks damaged.
Residents will not receive keys…
Under the new arrangement, residents will not be supplied with keys once the replacement gates are installed. The council said arrangements would be made to allow residents to remove any vehicles or large items currently stored behind their homes before access is permanently restricted.
In the report, its claimed a limited number of properties have reportedly used the land to reach the rear of their homes. However, because the site belongs to Hartlepool Borough Council, residents have no formal legal right of vehicular access across it prompting concerns the move could lead to a legal battle against the council & some of the homeowners over adopted rights of way.
Officers described the land as unsuitable for ordinary cars because of the large potholes and uneven ground. Several garages situated behind the properties appeared not to have been used for a considerable period.
Disabled-access concerns raised..
The council consulted the 39 properties affected by the proposal, but its claimed just 16 responses were received, with ten respondents supporting the closure, whilst six objected, with concerns primarily relating to disabled access.
Council officers said there was no evidence that vehicles were regularly accessing the backs of the properties and suggested that the condition of the land meant it could realistically only be crossed by larger wagons or four-wheel-drive vehicles.
The committee was also reminded that additional parking bays had previously been installed at the front of the properties.
Scheme expected to cost around £1,200
Councillors supported action to prevent further illegal fly tipping and Anti Social Behaviour, although questions were raised about the cost and whether closing the site could simply displace the problem elsewhere.
The council estimated that the work would cost approximately £1,200.
The Director of Neighbourhood and Regulatory Services said a similar measure introduced on West View Road had been successful and expressed confidence that the Bruntoft Avenue closure would achieve the same result.
Its expected the works will be undertake to secure the site from vehicle access in the next few months.
