Plans to Convert Former Beauty Salon into a Flat on Hartlepool's Headland Refused by Council Planning Officers....

The former Beauty Salon in Northgate Hartlepool

The plans were controversially rejected this week by HBC Planning officers despite a letter of support & no objections brought forward from other authorities.

22nd April 2025

Hartlepool Borough Council has refused a planning application to convert a former beauty salon into a one-bedroom flat on the towns Headland — despite at least one letter of support and no formal objections being submitted being submitted by either the parish council or HBC departments...

Mr. Thomas Cawley had applied for a change of use of the ground floor unit at 21 Northgate, Hartlepool, proposing to transform the now-vacant commercial premises into a residential flat. However, council planning officers have this week turned down the proposal — though, at the time of writing, the official reasons for the refusal remain unclear.

HBC Exposed has not been able to access the formal decision notice from Hartlepool Borough Council. But available documentation does not appear to show any major objections to the plans from key council departments or from Headland Parish Council. This raises questions about why the plans were rejected, particularly given that at least one letter of support for the change of use was received...

According to the Design and Access Statement submitted as part of the application, the proposal sought to convert the ground floor of the property into a C3 residential flat, with careful steps taken to preserve the historical character of the building, the report stated No external alterations were proposed, other than minor repair and maintenance, with the original shop front and access door remaining in place to preserve the street’s conservation aesthetic. In addition to the consideration of the conservation area, its claimed the report outlined that there would be no changes to glazing or the canopy, with existing architectural features to be maintained.

As well as the consideration to the external charlatanistic of the property, its claimed Internal renovations would be sensitively carried out, using materials in line with the original construction, with the unit remaining separate from the upper floors, with no internal access link, retaining its own title and ownership.

The proposal's were said to have made a point of respecting the Headland’s historic character, with assurances that no UPVC or modern alterations would be made to the frontage — a common sticking point in conservation areas.

Questions Likely to be Raised Over Refusal

Northgate on the Hartlepool Headland has a mixture of similar properties which have been converted in the past & have been approved, raising questions over the councils refusal on this application

With only one formal public objection, & seemingly none lodged by any council department or the parish council — with at least one letter of support from a local member of the community — the refusal will likely come as a surprise to many, particularly in an area that's considered to have high property demand & demand which is seemingly outstripping supply in terms of homes to either buy or rent, with the case raising broader questions about transparency and consistency in council planning decisions made by Hartlepool Borough Council — especially when applicants appear to comply with conservation guidelines.

It's not yet been confirmed whether the applicant will lodge an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate....