Vacant Shop or Another Takeaway: Planning Application Submitted for Hartlepool Business Premises..
- teessidetoday
- Dec 12
- 2 min read
Vacant Oxford Road Shop Could Reopen as Restaurant and Takeaway as Plans are Submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council....
12th December 2025
Plans have been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council to bring a long-vacant shop back into use as a restaurant with a takeaway element.
The unit, situated in the towns Oxford Road, has reportedly been empty since the summer. According to the planning statement, several retail businesses have previously occupied the premises but failed to remain viable, with no firm retail interest now coming forward...
The proposal seeks a change of use from a shop (Use Class E) to a mixed restaurant and takeaway use, with opening hours proposed between 11am and 10pm daily. No changes are planned to the shopfront, aside from new signage. The only external alteration would be a rear extraction flue, positioned alongside an existing chimney stack to limit visual impact.
To address concerns around smells and noise, the applicant says the kitchen would use advanced filtration and noise-reduction equipment, designed to keep sound levels below background noise and prevent odours affecting neighbouring flats.
Up to Six Jobs Created..
The applicant also claims the development would create five to six full-time jobs, generate tax revenue, and improve the appearance of the parade by reopening a shuttered unit that currently adds little to the street.
Decision likely to be up to the Local Council, especially given the number of Takeaways currently in the area.....
Oxford Road already has a high number of food outlets, and Hartlepool Borough Council's policy currently limits the proportion of hot food takeaways being created in the area. However, the applicant argues this scheme should be viewed differently because it is not a takeaway-only use, but a mixed restaurant proposal that would reuse an existing commercial building
The planning statement concludes that the proposal would not harm neighbour amenity, highway safety, or the character of the area, and urges the council to approve the application subject to conditions.
A decision on the application is likely to be made sometime in February 2026...
