Former Hartlepool Paper Mill Site Set for Major Redevelopment..
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
5th August 2026
A long-vacant industrial site close to Hartlepool town centre could be brought back into use under plans for four new commercial buildings containing 16 separate business units.
Proposals have been drawn up to redevelop the former Durham Paper Mill site on Burn Road, within Hartlepool’s Belle Vue industrial area which the Teesside & Durham post exclusively reported on back in January 2026.
The scheme, prepared on behalf of applicant Darren Wilde by Middlesbrough-based Logic Architecture Ltd, would transform the one-hectare brownfield site into approximately 5,000 square metres of new commercial accommodation.
Four buildings and 16 commercial units
The proposed development would consist of four buildings arranged around the perimeter of the site, with their main entrances and activity facing into a central parking and circulation area.
The buildings would be divided into 16 flexible commercial units:
Block One would contain seven units covering approximately 1,880 square metres.
Block Two would contain three units covering 450 square metres.
Block Three would contain two units covering 535 square metres.
Block Four would contain four units covering 2,190 square metres.
The units could then either be occupied individually or combined to accommodate businesses requiring larger premises.
According to the design statement, the development is intended to respond to demand from smaller and start-up businesses which may not require the large industrial and warehouse buildings traditionally found across the Belle Vue estate.
One of the buildings would be two storeys high, while the remaining three would primarily be single-storey commercial blocks.
Almost 90 parking spaces proposed
The scheme would include 89 permanent parking spaces, made up of:
73 standard spaces;
two electric vehicle spaces;
three accessible spaces; and
11 spaces designed for both electric vehicles and accessible use.
A further 14 loading bays would also be provided for deliveries and commercial vehicles.
Vehicle access would be taken from Burn Road. Following concerns raised by the council’s highways officers during the official pre-application process, the developers say the design now includes extensive modifications to the nearby traffic-light-controlled junction.
Historic industrial site has been vacant for years
Historical maps indicate that a paper mill was constructed on the site sometime between 1857 and 1896.
The site was subsequently extended and adapted over the following century, with engineering workshops, warehouses and other industrial buildings being added.
Previous planning records include permission granted in 1976 for engineering workshops used for the fabrication of pipework and steelwork. A later application from 1980 described the site as a warehouse and trade counter.
Most of the remaining buildings were demolished between 2017 and 2020, leaving the land largely vacant and covered by remnants of previous structures, rubble and hardcore.
The development statement describes the site as a prominent brownfield “eyesore” and argues that its redevelopment would improve one of the main approaches into Hartlepool town centre.
Online consultation attracts no negative comments
A video explaining the development was uploaded to YouTube on December 5, 2025, while information leaflets were said to have been delivered to businesses and neighbours surrounding the site, with the design statement concluding that the development would return a long-disused brownfield site to productive use, create flexible premises for different types of businesses and make a positive contribution to Hartlepool’s economy.
Its anticipated Hartlepool Borough Council could make a formal decision on the plans sometime in October 2026…
