The Development that never Developed: How insolvency has Left a Hartlepool Site with Rubble Instead of Renewal...

The Willows & Former Engineers Club Site in Raby Rd Hartlepool

Who's Responsible Now?

The Unfinished Demolition Site at the Willows in Hartlepool : The Story Behind Hartlepool’s Stalled Regeneration...

10th Jan 2026

Demolition works at two prominent derelict sites in Hartlepool have reportedly stalled, leaving one site only partially demolished and the other reduced to rubble but not cleared.

Works began back in May 2025 on the former Engineers Club and The Willows (formerly Hartlepool Borough Council’s Registry Office). Both buildings had long been regarded as eyesores, blighted by years of vandalism, fire damage, and persistent anti-social behaviour. At the time, the demolitions were welcomed by several political figures as a long-overdue step towards regeneration of the town centre and the nearby marina area.

Several months on, however, it seems progress appears to have ground to a halt.

The Engineers Club building itself has been demolished, but the site remains uncleared, with debris still visible and no sign of groundworks or redevelopment beginning. The situation at The Willows is more concerning still: demolition was started but never completed, leaving the structure partially standing and exposed.

No timetable has been published to indicate when—or even if—works will resume.

Insolvency and Repossession Seemingly Behind the Sudden Halt..

Reporting by ourselves, The Teesside & Durham Post last year sheds at least some light on a critical factor as to the reasons behind the stalled projects.

This is because, repossession of development land is typically a sign of severe financial distress. Once lenders enforce their security, development finance is often withdrawn, contractors are stood down, and projects stop abruptly—even through mid-demolition.

This appears to align closely with what's said to have unfolded at the Engineers Club site on Raby Road. Contractors are understood to have withdrawn following the introduction of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), a formal insolvency process.

As a result, multiple projects associated with the company managing the site are now effectively mothballed, with no further works carried out beyond the initial demolition phase.

Insolvency Proceedings Add Further Complications

Companies House records linked to the business Group First Global Limited—reported to be the current owner of the land following the insolvency of Advanced RS Developments Ltd—indicate that Group First Global Ltd itself is now subject to a CVA.

A CVA places strict controls on spending while prioritising repayment of creditors in an attempt to keep a company trading. In practice, discretionary or speculative projects are commonly paused or abandoned altogether, particularly where funding is uncertain or lenders have intervened. Expenditure is overseen by insolvency professionals, and new capital investment is rarely authorised unless deemed essential or backed by significant guarantees.

Documentation reviewed by The Teesside & Durham Post in connection with the Raby Road demolition suggests Group First Global Ltd was already operating under significant financial constraints at the time demolition works began. This raises serious questions about whether the redevelopment proposals were financially viable from the outset.

Demolition Without Regeneration

Whilst the site may have had the buildings demolished to prevent further vandalism & arson attacks, the remains of the buildings are still pilled on the land, with no evidence of any future re-development taking place.

The outcome leaves Hartlepool residents facing a depressingly familiar scenario: regeneration promised, demolition commenced, and then abandonment.

Partial demolition can itself present greater risks than leaving a building intact. Exposed structures are vulnerable to weather damage, trespass, and accelerated deterioration. Meanwhile, the fully demolished Engineers Club site—still piled with rubble—remains effectively 'unsecured', undermining claims that demolition was the precursor to imminent redevelopment.

The CVA issues for the company overseeing the site also means ownership and legal responsibility for both sites may now be unclear, particularly if further repossession or insolvency proceedings follow in the coming months. Should the land be placed back on the market, re-development delays are likely to extend further. There's also the prospect of increased costs for Hartlepool Borough Council if enforcement action becomes necessary, with taxpayers likely to be left to pick up the bill.

Questions for Hartlepool Borough Council

There will be questions as to why Hartlepool Borough Council hasn't acted on the site being left with debris from the demolition seemingly uncleared, particularly as enforcement action against locals for seemingly 'trivial' planning issues ramps up

The prolonged inactivity raises serious questions about the council’s role and the wider regeneration strategy for Hartlepool’s town centre. The council holds extensive enforcement powers where derelict or uncleared sites pose safety or environmental risks.

Despite the visible condition of both sites, no enforcement action has been announced, no remediation deadlines have been set, and no explanation has been offered as to whether works will recommence.

Where land becomes entangled in insolvency or repossession disputes—as seen previously with the former Admiral Curt Nursing Home on Greenland Rd Hartlepool—local councils seemingly often appear reluctant to intervene, wary of committing public funds to resolve private-sector failures. The consequence, however, is that local communities are usually left dealing with the fallout.

Artists Impression of what the site was supposed to look like re-developed which again is left as a poignant reminder of the numerous failed re-developments Hartlepool locals have been promised and have never materialised

What was presented as a turning point for two of Hartlepool’s most notorious derelict buildings has instead produced more unanswered questions and growing public frustration.

Until ownership, funding, and responsibility are clearly resolved, there is little indication that either site will see meaningful progress in the near future.

For now, Hartlepool is left not with regeneration, but with another half-finished demolition and another pile of rubble—a stark reminder that demolition alone doesn't ever guarantee renewal.