Hartlepool Council’s Quarterly Spending – Just Where Did Hartlepool Tax Payers Money Really Go?

teessidetoday
Sep 28
3 min read

Spotlight now firmly on Hartlepool Borough Councils expenditure after questions start to be raised over value for money for local tax payers.

28th Sep 2025

Hartlepool Borough Council has published its latest expenditure sheets for the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, where a closer look at the figures reveals some eyebrow-raising payments that will not sit well with hard-pressed local taxpayers.

While the council constantly pleads poverty, warning of “tough decisions,” and hiking up Council Tax bills in April this year, it continues to sign off on payments that many will see as questionable, excessive, or just simply bizarre.

Big Sums Being Paid to Other Councils

One of the most striking findings is the amount of Hartlepool taxpayers’ money being handed to neighbouring local councils:

£25,906.07 paid to Darlington Borough Council.
£25,246.38 paid to Middlesbrough Council.
£17,611.91 paid to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.

That’s nearly £70,000 gone in just a single financial quarter – money collected from Hartlepool residents, but being spent outside the town with no clear explanation of the local benefit.

Repeat Payouts to the Same Organisations

The council also seems to have favourites when it comes to grant-giving:

Hartlepool Carers was found to have received three identical payments of £24,686.67 (plus several smaller ones), totalling over £74,000 in three months.
Let’s Connect (Eng) Ltd pocketed around £16,000 in a mixture of small payments and “voluntary association” cash.
A group called 'Slutmouth' was reportedly paid nearly £4,000 for “performing arts” and “training courses.” Aside from the controversial name, taxpayers may well ask why this is a priority when frontline services are stretched.

Consultants and Outsourcing – The Usual Story

Consultancy fees being spent by Hartlepool Borough Council continue to drain public funds:

£24,421.50 handed to the National Development Team for Inclusion for “training.”
Over £26,000 spread across multiple invoices to Civica UK Ltd for IT consultancy.
£10,000+ paid to Nature Based Solutions Ltd for countryside consultancy.

These costs seemingly highlight the council’s ongoing reliance on outside contractors instead of building internal expertise.

Housing & Care Homes – Big Business

Care providers are cashing in on local councils seemingly 'bottom less pit' of cash

Some of the largest sums went to housing groups and care providers:

Thirteen Housing Group Ltd received a staggering £135,740.14 across three invoices.
Local care homes such as Charlotte Grange, Lindisfarne, and Rossmere Park Care Centre each banked five-figure sums, some exceeding £22,000 in a single month.

Whilst care is essential, the regular six-figure outflows raise questions over accountability and whether Hartlepool taxpayers are getting value for money.

Oddities and Errors...

Amongst some of the more stranger entries:

£5,000 to Durham Spray Paints for “Adult Education Training.”
£1,657.75 at Tullys Sewing Machines.
£6,000 in kennel and vet bills to AHHFP Ltd.
A refund of -£31,877.74 to Rossmere Park Care Centre, plus a -£4,875 reversal on software spend – suggesting accounting mistakes or disputes.

These line items show how sloppy and inconsistent the council’s financial management can appear.

The Big Joint Charge

Finally, £50,769.72 was sent to Middlesbrough Council for a “Community Hubs Joint Arrangement.” A vague title, a huge cost – with seemingly no obvious benefit to Hartlepool residents.

Bring in DOGE

In just three months, Hartlepool Borough Council has poured tens of thousands into neighbouring councils, funnelled repeated payments to the same organisations, signed off on pricey consultancy contracts, and even paid out for some highly questionable items.

At a time when residents are being told services must be cut, these figures will only deepen mistrust. Taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and above all, value for money – not a blank cheque handed out behind closed doors, raising calls for a DOGE style investigation into Hartlepool Borough Councils accounts to weed out inefficiency & payments that on the face of it..... have seemingly no benefit to the local taxpayer....