Major Jobs Boost as Hartlepool Brownfield Site Could Be Set for Industrial Revival...

Oakesway Scheme Could Create Dozens of New Jobs

Proposed New Development on Oakesway Industrial Estate Promises Boost for Hartlepool’s Economy...

12th Feb 2026

Plans have been put before the Hartlepool Development Corporation which could bring back into use a long-vacant brownfield site on Hartlepool's Oakesway Industrial Estate bringing with it new employment opportunities to the area.

The proposal, submitted in December 2025 on behalf of applicant Steve Alday of SRA Products Ltd and prepared by Logic Architecture Ltd, seeks full planning permission for the construction of three new industrial buildings on a former factory site on Oaksway Industrial Estate just off Winterbottom Avenue in Hartlepool. The development, according to the applicants would deliver flexible commercial space capable of being subdivided into up to ten separate units, complete with new landscaping, hardstanding areas and dedicated car parking.

The Site, part of the former Sweet & Savory Factory as it looked back in 2009 before being demolished for potential future re-development

The site itself reportedly carries a notable industrial history. It was originally home to the Lyons Patisserie factory in the late 1980s before later becoming the Sweet N Savory facility operated by Bonne Bouch Limited. That business collapsed into administration in 2007, and in 2011 the redundant building was destroyed in a suspected arson attack, later being demolished. Since then, the land has lain derelict, with only the original building base remaining.

According to the planning statement, the intended uses fall within Classes B2, B8 and E(g), meaning the units could accommodate general industrial processes, storage and distribution, as well as office, research and light industrial activities that would be compatible with a mixed employment area. The applicant argues that this flexibility is essential to meet modern business demand and attract a range of potential tenants.

The scheme has already reportedly undergone pre-application discussions with the Hartlepool Development Corporation, during which officers raised a number of matters requiring further assessment. These included visual impact, noise implications for nearby residential properties, highway arrangements for heavy goods vehicles, ecological surveys, flood risk and drainage strategies, and potential land contamination. The applicant has since indicated that technical reports, including a transport statement, flood risk assessment and preliminary ecological appraisal, accompany the formal submission.

Supporting the Modernisation of the Area

Oaksway Industrial Estate has been identified as a strategic employment location according to reports

Oakesway Industrial Estate is identified within the Hartlepool Development Corporation Masterplan as a strategic employment location, with the applicants arguing that the new development would directly support the corporation’s ambition to modernise the area, attract inward investment and strengthen the town’s industrial base.

The design includes commitments to energy efficiency, potential solar panel installation, electric heating for office areas, and sustainable drainage systems to manage surface water runoff.

Following consultation with Cleveland Police’s Designing Out Crime Officer, the plans also incorporate a 2.4-metre perimeter fence, secure roller shutters, flush rainwater pipes to deter climbing, controlled access points, and provision for CCTV and enhanced lighting across the site.

The developers maintain that the scheme once completed, will create high-quality employment space, make effective use of previously developed land, and contribute positively to Hartlepool’s economic regeneration. The application is now set to be considered by the Hartlepool Development Corporation in the next few months.