Hartlepool Borough Council Puts 2.87 Acres of Green Land Up For Sale....

teessidetoday
Oct 31
3 min read

The move will likely stir up public anger that Hartlepool Borough Council is once again selling off publicly owned assets to wealthy housing developers, as the 'splurge' of housing in the town continues...

31st October 2025

Hartlepool Borough Council has placed a stretch of land up for sale by informal tender in a move that's likely to spark further debate among residents regarding the town’s shrinking green spaces and claims of 'over-development'.

The 2.87-acre site, located beside The Pastures and Seaton Meadows estates, has been advertised by the local Council as an “exciting opportunity” for residential development.

Despite being allocated in the Local Plan as Natural and Semi-Natural Green Land, Hartlepool Borough Council makes clear that it views the land as suitable for housing “subject to planning”

Green Space Today, Housing Tomorrow

The land — currently level and top-soiled — sits less than a mile from Seaton Carew and is close to local transport routes and schools. In planning terms, however, local residents may be surprised to see the stretch of whats considered to be protected green land being moved toward potential re-development.

The Council’s own Local Plan policy normally aims to protect natural green space — yet the local council which in 2023 was determined to be an authority that has no pubic confidence is now offering to sell the land for housing and has already outlined expectations such as:

18% affordable housing requirement on sites of 15+ units
Developer-funded allowances for planning obligations
Vehicular access to a separate Council-retained site earmarked for future affordable rental accommodation

Critics claim this is the precursor towards there not being just one development — but the beginning of a broader expansion of housing in the area.

Council Keeps a Stake for Future Development

Crucially, Hartlepool Borough Council is not selling everything — it's keeping an adjoining plot to itself to build its own affordable rental homes later something between 2027 & 2028 according to one of our sources close to the local council, and that any buyer must provide access to that land as part of the agreement by both the developer & the local council. This shows the Hartlepool Borough Council intends to undertake long-term development on the site, & not just a one-off land disposal.

Tender Rules: Developer Must Build on the land — Or Lose It

The sale however comes with strict conditions:

The Successful Developer must start and complete the build within 3 years
If they fail, the Council can buy the land back at market value or original sale price (whichever is lower)

This clause is reportedly aimed at preventing whats known in the trade as 'land-banking' — though critics argue the real question is why the Council is selling Tax Payer owned land in the first place.

Council Fees, No VAT & ‘Best Price’ Clause

The Council will charge:

3% surveyor’s fee (min £3,000)
The purchaser must also pay all Council legal fees

No VAT will be charged, and bids must be submitted by 12 noon, 28 November 2025

Under

Section 123 of the Local Government Act, the Council is required to seek the “best price reasonably obtainable” — and can still reportedly consider new bids even after a preferred purchaser is chosen...

What Does This Mean For Locals ?

Residents may see this as another example of public land gradually slipping into private development hands, rather than being fully retained for the long-term benefit of local people. With Hartlepool’s housing crisis worsening due to a failed housing allocations system exposed as being 'corrupt', this sale decision rightly deserves further public scrutiny.

Your View

Should Hartlepool Borough Council be selling off green-designated land for developers — or keeping it for future affordable homes?