Mill House Development

[The Great Dictator]

The frontage could be clad onto any other building in Hartlepool and preserved, then demolish it.

[popgoestheweasal.]

The Odeon is an eyesore and it must be awful for the residents of the area to look at it very day. so maybe an change to the building will improve the look.

[steveL]

Building probably doomed but the facade needn't be. When they built that new shopping centre near Grey's Monument in Newcastle they propped the front up while rebuilding behind it. The same approach seems to be used all over Europe, where civic pride and an eye on tourist euros prevents too much messing with the look of old city centres. They obviously aren't planning to restore the Odeon to former glories and then charge students to live in the balcony on a strict diet of Toffee Poppets abd cartons of Kia-Ora. Hopefully we'll see some creative thinking rather than more of the defeatism that sees old buildings left to rot until demolition is the only option.

That's a very good point, actually. The internal layout can't possibly remain intact whichever way you look at it.

[brassed off monkey]

Another headline scoop from the Mail.

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/residents-unanimously-back-mill-house-masterplan-1-4647881

When 30,000 people signed a petition to save the hopital, the council did nothing.

When serious questions were raised in full council meetings regarding Paul Walkers salary increase, the council did nothing.

When serious questions were raised in full council about the massive Tall Ships overspend, the council did nothing.

When major concerns were raised about Seaton becoming a dumping ground for all sorts of nasty substances, the council did nothing.

When the closing of libraries & other amenities were brought up in council, they did nothing.

So the unanimous support for the Mill House site by 60 pools fans & local residents will probably mean the scheme gets the go ahead.

The likelyhood of any development is i think remote, the area already has several major retail outlets standing empty & likely to remain so for the forseeable future.

With HBC going ahead with the purchase of the Big Tin Shed, any monies available are likely to be directed towards the redevelopment of that site, they have covered all bases in previous statements about possible use for the site... ie. housing, retail, eateries, & most laughably... the Mayor would like to see it as a major concert venue, before it`s redeveloped.

It`s yet "Another Pie in The Sky" diversion from the realities faced by the town in the next few years...

[popgoestheweasal.]

Attended the MHAAG meeting again last night and there was a large number of residents in attendance. yet again very well organised with every question answered to the best of the organisers abilty.
The feeling that came across was that the council had not bothered to talk to the people in the area about the devolepment of the millhouse.
the old lady sat next to me said give the football club the ground they have been in Hartlepool longer than the councillors and have gave more to the town.
i went to the first meeting with an open mind on the ground handover but i'm sure it will benefit the town in the long run.
One member of the meeting voiced his concerns that he hoped the project would not hinge on a personel battle with the mayor and the labour group but surely that is not an issue.

[dangerman]

This is all old news being brought upto date meetings were held some four years past showing plans for housing to the rear of Belk street.

Plans to demolish the wet side of Mill house centre, incorporate the Mill House Pub into the complex also the indoor bowls two well attended meetings gave residents hope of immediate regeneration.

Inclusion of this was the Odeon to be converted to flats/housing what happened NOTHING.

Dont get me wrong I'd love to see this go ahead but in reallity Will It? talk is cheap and four years of nothing is hardly progress we'll see what the next four years bring. But dont hold your breath.

[mk1]

Contrast this with the low key way they treated a very  recent drugs case. A local man caught in a 1 million pound drugs sting and the local paper ignore/leave out his business connections in Hartlepool.
I have seen  bigger headlines over some pathetic Tesco bacon snatcher.
Someone has been bunged to keep it out of the paper.

[for fawkes sake]

I don't think the Mail has done the supporters of the ground giveaway any favours by overstating the significance of the Mill House meeting. We have been presented with a front page headline and a following article on page 4 all about how the majority of residents favour the scheme. However, this it not the majority 90,000 residents of the town or even the majority of the 4 or 5 thousands season tickets holders - we're talking about just 60 people.  Talk about over-egging the pudding.
It would have been better if the schemes supporters had been allowed the same amount of space to make their case and to talk about their small but growing campaign. I'm afraid, as it was presented, people will struggle to match the headline with the numbers and draw the conclusion that the whole thing has been exagerated.

[marky]

But isn't that the rub of it all. While there's an obvious case for the site to be redeveloped and this would be a positive thing; there's not much of a case at all for giving the ground away to IOR for free especially when the council has £20m to find over the next 5 years.. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that there's no reason why the redevelopment couldn't go ahead without any IOR involvement at all. The redevelopment is simply being used to try and piggy back the giveaway of the ground.

[Vincent]

I noticed that Barry Thompson, PHF candidate for Victoria Ward is all for the give away - is this PHF Policy?

[steveL]

PHF members are free to vote whichever way their own judgement takes them. At a guess, I would say that the majority view is that everything should be done to make the redevelopment happen provided the deal makes sense to the majority of people in the town and all parties who gain from the deal contribute in some way.

My own view, for what it is worth, is that IOR have yet to come up with any reason why their ownership of the Freehold of the land should be a prerequisite to the redevelopment going ahead other than a suicidal threat to move the football club elsewhere. Virtually all of the adjacent Marina Development has taken place on Leasehold land including the Retail Parks and Apartments, so they need to come up with a better reason than they have so far to warrant themselves being treated differently.

[no6bus]

fair point so why did HVDA need rockhaven at a giveaway price, why did the art college need the Leadbitter buildings and not lease them of the council

[steveL]

I'm not without my own doubts about how the examples you mention came about but even so, you are comparing not-for-profit organisations with a social agenda to a private company which exists to generate a profit - the comparison doesn't quite work.

Perhaps the way forward is some sort of joint company with all parties taking a share and contributing to the development cost one way or another. HBC could put in the land as its contribution and the football club, its plans for the Rink End as its contribution. I don't know - just an idea.

[no6bus]

possibly we will find out a bit more after the presentation to councillors tomorrow. thats if any turn up with there not being a free lunch.

[popgoestheweasal.]

Dare say what no6 bus is saying is right about free land and cheap property been handed over to other people or businesses so why the big whoo harr about IOR.
I dont buy the mail anymore but heard someone saying that the council were buying the jacksons landing building why. within 2 years it will be a dump again but owned by the council.