Seventeen-Unit Business Development In Hartlepool Could Be Rejected Over Visual Impact Concerns..

Site of the former Havelock Day Centre In Hartlepool

Mainsforth Terrace Business Plans Divide Opinion as Officers Recommend it be Refused...

10th June 2026

Plans to build 17 new commercial business units on the site of a former Day Centre at Mainsforth Terrace in Hartlepool are set to go before councillors next week — with planning officers recommending that the proposals are refused.

The application relates to the cleared site of the former Havelock Day Centre, located at the junction of Burbank Street and Mainsforth Terrace. The proposals would see the land redeveloped with three separate two-storey blocks of commercial units, intended to accommodate research and development businesses, certain industrial processes and storage or distribution operations, with each unit include an ancillary office on the first floor.

Its claimed the plans originally included 18 units but were later revised, reducing the development to 17 units following discussions during the planning process.

Residents raise objections

The application has been referred to Hartlepool Borough Council’s Planning Committee after its claimed a number of objections were received from local residents, which included the size and location of the proposed buildings, the possible loss of sunlight for nearby homes, traffic and parking issues, noise, dust and the potential impact on wildlife.

Some residents also questioned whether there was a genuine need for the units.

Highways concerns addressed after plans revised

The council’s Traffic and Transport section reportedly raised concerns previously about the proposed access arrangements, warning that the original entrance onto Mainsforth Terrace would not meet the required junction-spacing standards with revised plans later submitted to introduce separate entry and exit points.

Potential jobs and small-business space

Hartlepool Borough Council’s Economic Development team supported the proposals, stating that the development would bring a vacant site back into productive use and provide much-needed accommodation for new and existing small businesses.

The team said the scheme could also create employment opportunities for local residents, with the Hartlepool Mayoral Development Corporation also supporting the principle of commercial development on the site, subject to conditions controlling issues such as noise, opening hours, delivery times, ventilation equipment, construction activity and external waste storage.

However, Despite a number of the technical issues being resolved, council officers are said to remain concerned about the overall size and appearance of the proposed development.

The report highlights the length of the largest block, which would run uninterrupted for around 56 metres, as well as the 34-metre block close to Burbank Street, with planning officers arguing that the buildings would be highly visible from several directions and would create an overly dominant form of development.

While landscaping could soften parts of the site, its claimed officers do not believe it would be enough to overcome the wider concerns about the scale and mass of the proposed buildings. The report concludes that the development would fail to respect the character and appearance of the surrounding area with Planning officials recommending the application be refused.

The recommendation will be considered by Hartlepool Borough Council’s Planning Committee when it meets on Wednesday, 17th of June.