Public Regeneration Strategy - Phase 1 (Church Street - Seaton Front)

[SRMoore]

Following Stigs topic "Why did they miss out..." and Riddlers question about the councils long term vision for the town I thought now would be a good time to start a discussion I have wanted to have for a while.
So here is the challenge. Lets focus some of the energy thats usually used for being negative and talking down this town to good use and put together a strategy for Hartlepool.

Working in Phases we'll start with Church Street down towards Seaton Front. What would you do to encourage tourism, job creation, regeneration etc? Please try to explain why you believe your suggestion would be benefitial and how it could be achieved.


To start us off I have highlighted a proposed route for a diesel tram (starting big!) which would run from the Transport Interchange (to get some use out of it), down to and along the promenade to Seaton bus station where it would loop back. Now I must confess that this choice is partly because I am a big fan of trams but also to provide a regular, reliable and desirable form of public transport to and from Seaton Carew.
Installing a diesel tram line is a LOT cheaper than electric and it sends out a clear message to residents and businesses that there is a commitment being made to provide the service for the long term. Unlike a bus service which can be stopped/redirected on whim.

The project could possibly be financed by central government or EU transport/regeneration pots. Alternatively the money could be borrowed with repayments covered by an additional surcharge added to council tax and or business rates in the areas that will directly benefit from the line alongside profits made from passengers.

Over to you... Ideas... feedback... Improvements...

[Inspector Knacker]

Most of the big projects in town have been the product of outside bodies. You only have to look around you to see the disjointed hotch potch of develpments to make you despair, I believe that if the Sistine chapel was in Hartlepool they'd artex the ceiling to get rid of those old pictures up there. For a seaside town, we really do singularly fail to get the best out of some great natural assets, approching the marina lock gates in a boat, you are greeted by what resembles the back of a motley collection of  1960's flats and their bin compound, we really have turned our back on what is our best asset.
Are we the only town where with a nice piece of beach and a popular new promenade we have over the road waste transfer stations and landfill complete with stench, blown rubbish and everything ingrained with dirt and mud .....?
The town centre is now too spread out and  Church Stret would benefit from returning to what it used to be, a street of small business's, at present it's the perfect accompaniment to the interchange, a windswept depressing testament to bad planning.
As for the tram option, nice thought, but finance will be difficult ........ and you mustn't forget the whingers who see everything and anything as a target for a good moan
That's the trouble with this town, a fair percentage of the population have a not for the likes off us attitude while happy to extoll the the virtues of other places.
We have a huge empty draw in the filing cabinet marked ambition.... still, we can marvel at all the things surrendered so meekly on our behalf, or maybe the people feel powerless as the little suits dictate to us, maybe we just finally lost the will when we realised no one listened to us anymore.

[SRMoore]

Looking at the positives from your post Riddler I would agree that Church Street needs to be reclaimed by local independent retailers. Yarm High Street (not that I'm suggesting CS could rival it) is always rated top or near the top of all UK high streets because of the variety of independent shops and restaurants. Church Street is actually a pretty attractive street if you see past the boarded up nightclubs. I'm sure that if HBC offered some kind of rate relief for retailers to open/relocate to Church Street and a clear notice that no further licences for clubs would be granted, there would be a change for the better.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Wouldn't a diesel bus be a lot cheaper than laying tram lines. (Look at the Edinburgh fiasco if you want to see how expensive and slow it is to lay some tram lines.)

How about an open top double decker and what about horse and carriage.

It would also be a good route for some Christmas decorations, pity we don't have a nice tower in town (RIP Steetley).

A small cafe at Newburn Bridge to allow walkers to refresh themselves with a cup of tea would be nice (no prison style railing please).

Would it be possible to plant trees along Coronation Drive to mask the tip site ?   

[whatabouthisthen]

Come on you guys and dolls! Just down the road was the first ever steam railway. I bet that there would be enough steam buffs who would volunteer for such a project and save a lot of money. Borrow a steam engine from York or Shilden.

[Inspector Knacker]

The one drawback to a tram scheme would be Newburn Bridge where the gradient is too steep and would require costly construction of an alternative structure with a gentler gradient over the existing rail line.
A vintage open top bus route  as suggested by stig, running. from the headland to seaton would be  a more practical possibility, but not to be entered into in an half hearted manner as is usually the case

[SRMoore]

An open top bus would be a good idea but not one that would replace a tram service. Compliment it, yes, by taking passengers from Seaton via marina and onto the Headland. A tour bus like that would enable visitors to have a single service which would take them directly to the main tourist spots. Good thinking.

Riddler, I had thought of Newburn bridge and the cheaper option would be to follow the promenade (as shown in the map) so that you miss the bridge al together.
I believe the Edinburgh tramway is an electric line which always costs more. All services underneath the route have to be moved at the cost of the council/tram operator. Hence the large coatings. The route I proposed pretty much misses all developed land where services would be. A light diesel tram, such as those produced by Parry People Movers would be a more affordable option for a town the size of Hartlepool. 

[Inspector Knacker]

The promenade would be a practical alternative and wiith a diesel powered vehicle therecwould not be the corrosion problems associated with electrical equipment in a salt water location.!  The only question to ask, would be the strength of the promenade to carry the rail line, other than that, the only blight is politicians and finance.

[SRMoore]

I was speaking to a number of door staff on Friday (no I wasn't out drinking) and the general consensus seems to be that Church Street will be pretty much finished as a nightspot within 6 months. I'd say that view would match what I've seen on weekends. Most people either start off at home and then head to the 'top end' or start at the Marina. Very few now seem to head down to Church Street.

Obviously this is bad for those bars/pubs that are still there but perhaps this will allow a change in fortunes for CS as more independent shops are enticed to set up or relocate?

The wedding shop, Christabelle & Keates recently relocated to Church Street from a shop next to Whitegates on Victoria Road. The owner tells me that the move made sense as Church Street is a nicer setting, has parking directly outside which is free for 30 minutes and the shop itself is bigger.