Seaton Carew Swimming Pool Proposal Returns: Will Revised Plans Be Enough To Win Over Council Planning Chiefs?

Plans have gone in again for a change of use of a home swimming pool for public use, despite similar plans being refused earlier this year.

Will the revised plans now be given the green light by Council Officers ?

27th November 2024

An applicant’s plans to open a swimming pool for public use are set to go before council planning chiefs for a decision despite similar plans being refused at a committee meeting held earlier this year.

Miss Suzanne Yorke, of The Paddock in Hartlepool’s Seaton Carew, has applied to Hartlepool Borough Council for a change of use of an existing swimming pool for public use, despite similar plans reportedly being refused earlier this year by a council planning committee.

The report submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council outlines that a pre-application was submitted, and a formal response received stating that the proposals would be supported for approval by the planning department, subject to a formal planning application submission being made. .

Previous plans for the change of use of the swimming pool were refused at a council committee on April 17, 2024. Where the applicant has stated that the outstanding concerns have been addressed in the new application to secure approval for the proposed development.

Councillors at a planning committee meeting in April refused permission for the applicant’s proposed change of use for the swimming pool despite a number of letters received to the council in support of the application.

A decision notice issued by Hartlepool Borough Council at the time of refusal stated:

In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the application site is not considered to be an appropriate or compatible location for the proposed use (as a public swimming pool), as the proposal would have the potential to result in a significant detrimental impact on both the character of the surrounding area and neighbour amenity as a result of the increase in activity and associated noise disturbance.

This is in conflict with Policies LS1, Policy RC20 (criteria 2 and 4), and Policy RC21 (criteria 1 and 2) of the Hartlepool Local Plan (2018), as well as paragraph 135(f) of the NPPF (2023), which states that new developments should achieve a high standard of amenity for existing and future users.

It is expected the new plans submitted by the applicant will be decided upon sometime in January 2025 and are available to find on Hartlepool Borough Councils website under application Reference number H/2024/0317