Grot Spot update...

[perseus]

SteveL has mentioned this a few times but i figured it deserved it's own thread. Below is a quote from the Mayor.

ONE of the most successful initiatives that I have introduced over recent years is the campaign to tackle derelict land and buildings.
It started a couple of years ago (speaking in 2009) when, following a meeting about potential new powers that the Government were going to introduce, I decided to draw up a hit list of the top 10 empty buildings in the town and attempt to either bring them back into use or get rid of them altogether.

to my knowledge, the initial list contained some or all of the following;

Morison Hall.
Victoria Buildings.
The Globe Hotel.
The Sun Inn.
The Headland Gate.
The former United Reformed Church.
Friarage Manor House.
Throston Pump House.
Union House.
The Steetley site.
Former marine works in Cleveland Road.

Titan House was another as was the old crown house building, which have been 'sorted'. How are things going with the ones listed above?

[steveL]

In one of Drummond's Mail Columns ages ago (and just before one of the Mayoral elections) he claimed to have sorted over 60 of his 'Grot Spots'. No one got to see the actual list and a number of those that were sorted were nothing to do with anything Drummond had done.

Nothing has happened with the Manor House
The Morrison Hall has changed from being a private Grot Spot to a public Grot Spot having been bought by HBC for £60,000 with more spent on the roof etc
I think Victoria Buildings was done up by the Landlord who seems to have made a decent job of it.
Titan House was bought by a developer and turned into pink flats. 
The Pump House had thousands in grant money spent on it years ago as part of one of those regeneration schemes involving Spion Kop and the Central Park - now Drummond calls it a Grot Spot because after the grant money was spent on it they never bothered to look after it.

I think the biggies that everyone is waiting for are The Longscar and The Odeon - both owned by Capanac. The Longscar is full of rats and should be flattened on environmental health grounds if nothing else.

Ironically, reducing the size of the Grot Spot list becomes a little futile if you don't put something in place to thwart producing new ones at the same time. The old Comet store on the Tesco roundabout springs to mind as does the Heugh Breakwater ( a personal gripe) - the indifference shown by HBC to the demise of the Heugh really gets my goat. They'll wait for it to collapse and then a year or two later, some coordinator will come up with a regeneration 'tourism' scheme to build another one. As they say, you don't know what you have until you lose it.   

[fred c]

There are others of course, The Market Hotel, & the pub next to Barclays are 2 more grot Spots.

The simple facts are that drummond has done nothing with the major Grot Spots & his claim to have sorted Morrison Hall is stretching the imagination to far, £60,000 plus costs to buy the place, then an undisclosed amount to repair the building, and its no different now in public owneship than when in private hands.

I don`t doubt its difficult to deal with the money grabbing owners of these eyesores, but why claim to have solved the problem when its obvious to all & sundry that nothing has been done with the vast majority of these problem sites.

Are we likely to see a resolution to the Odeon & Longscar Hall problem anytime soon, personally i think theres more chance of another Zeppelin Raid over the town.

[steveL]

I wonder what the value of the Longscar and Odeon is in their present dilapidated state?

I think they should get the environmental health guys involved.

[marky]

Interesting idea. Not really my subject but do environmental health have powers to call for demolition? I can see how they might have.
I see someone has a planning application in for a new bar in York Road - is this Cafe Rapport? Yes is the answer - pity - spent many an hour over a coffee in there.
http://eforms.hartlepool.gov.uk:7777/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=95801

[marky]

What and upset the Wilkies? You jest, surely.
Interesting document though - -well done - shows that if Drummond had the balls then there's no reason why this shouldn't be progressed. Now that would be a vote winner for the lad.

[fred c]

Going back to the beginning of time, i lived in Seaton Carew, in fact i lived backing onto the car park next to the Longscar Hall, if you took a torch outside the back door late at night there were dozens of Rats all over he place, my Dad thought they were cats because they were so large.

I don`t know what the situation is with rats now around there, but it appears that the Longscar would provide a reasonably cosy abode for our rodent chums.

I don`t know the ins & outs of the enviromental magumba, but to most of us drummond hasnt exactly ripped up trees in an effort to sort of the Longscar or the Odeon.

[notenoughsaid]

   Just to update Perseus and all, re progress (or lack of it) on some of the sites featured in the list provided by him/her!!!   Off the top of my head (some are obvious, others perhaps not) :
Steetley: Totally demolished,chimney and all.!!! awaiting developement for housing although site clearance is still under way.
Sun Inn,Durham Street,    Now demolished and rebuilt in the form of two good class private semi bungalows.
Headland Gate P.H. Northgate/Durham St.junction. Demolished but site as yet undeveloped.
Globe Hotel, Northgate.   These premises were purchased from a national pub chain and are now a fully functionable  business in private ownership. The owner has at his own expense refurbished the interior and had the exterior rendered and new signage fitted about three  years ago come December and is perhaps one of the most attractive business premises on the Headland.  After local nomination it was given an award by the local Civic Society for renovation of buildings in the relevant class.   I am not biased but recommend the Cask Strongarm , at £2 a pint ,well worth the pilgrimage.!!!

   Apart from the large Steetley project I am not aware of any Mayoral or council input.   Finally before I get my hand slapped by Admin. for illicit advertising I have no financial interest in The Globe except I enjoy investing my spare cash in the aforementioned ale. Hope this is helpful.

[not4me]

What input did the mayor ot the council have in the Steetley issue that in any way brought it forward?  - none. Sure they carried out their normal function as the planning authority but for the most part they were nothing more than by-standers. For 10 years they allowed this death trap to become a playground for kids and did nothing to force the owners to make it safe.

[notenoughsaid]

  To not4me ...I totally agree but only mentioned their involvement in the role you state.   As a side dont forget the Mayors raffle to press the plunger to see of the stack!!!!!

[not4me]

lol....that's a fair point....it wasn't a bad idea, actually.

[testing times]

I was thinking of Marky's videos of the Marina and the Wingfield Castle. Unless something changes, it looks like we'll soon be able to add those to the list as well.

[mk1]

Going back to the beginning of time, I lived in Seaton Carew, in fact i lived backing onto the car park next to the Longscar Hall.

Was it this long ago?



present day view for those not as old as Fred!

[fred c]

Cheeky...............

It wasn`t that long ago........... but the Yellow Cross was i believe the abode of the Lithgo family... i may be wrong tho.... memories do fade... lol

The Red Cross was i think Ken Tyzacks, Rainbow Cafe... used to put bands on out the back.... The Afta Darks ?? Hartbeats ??

The Old chaps sitting on the bence in the B/W photograph would now be under the Biggest Grot Spot in town.