Sale of Council-Owned Land Set to Be Amended Once Again After Permit Issues

Coronation Drive Seaton Carew

Sale of a council owned piece of land faces delays once more, this time over an Environmental Permit....

15th April 2025

Hartlepool Borough Council's once again found itself in an embarrassing situation, this time over its alleged handling of the proposed sale of land at Coronation Drive, Seaton Carew—an area said to be being earmarked for a future housing development but riddled with complications, delays, and now, environmental permit issues.

It reportedly marks the third attempt to offload the land, which is once said to have served as a landfill site during the 1970s and 1980s. Despite repeated efforts, including at least four separate site investigations over the last three years, the sale has still not been completed, prompting fresh criticism over the councils handling of the controversial sale. .

One source close told HBC Exposed that the situation has become “embarrassing” for the local council, which was declared an authority of no public confidence in 2023. The sale process, which began reportedly back in March 2022 with conditional contracts being exchanged, appears to be stagnating, plagued by red tape, planning delays, and now, a missing Environment Agency permit.

“At this rate, the land will be sold for buttons—just to get it off the council’s hands,” the source said.

The land in question, located just off Coronation Drive and marked in council documents as a site for a future residential development, is now the subject of a contract amendment pushed forward by Tony Hanson, HBC’s Director of Neighbourhoods. The amendment, detailed in a confidential document not available to the public, is said to address the newly-emerged requirement for an environmental permit due to the site’s former use as a landfill.

According to Hanson’s official note:

“The completion of the sale is dependent on the granting of planning permission for the proposed residential development. This has not yet been obtained by the developer. In addition, it has recently emerged that the developer will need to obtain an Environment Agency Permit. An amendment to the sale contract… has now been agreed to accommodate this requirement.”

In simpler terms: more delays, more amendments, and still no final sale, something that's said to be reflective of the situation with another piece of Council Owned Land "nine acres" in the areas Hart Village, which reportedly has been subject to similar setbacks with the previous seller stepping back from the deal....

Its said to be yet another example of Hartlepool Borough Council’s repeated missteps in land sales and property deals—many of which seem to result in an asset disposal at heavily reduced prices, raising serious questions about financial stewardship, transparency, and planning foresight.

With the Coronation Drive site now bogged down in yet more bureaucracy, local residents and watchdogs are asking the obvious: just how long can Hartlepool Borough Council continue to plunder the local assets....?