What Hartlepool Needs

[Jamescampbell78]

It needs a common sense approach.

It needs people to stop thinking about lining the pockets of developers who pretend they want to do what's best for the town.

It needs people in charge to think about how the economics of a small town work and plan based on that, not some government scheme or initiative or stuff that will get a short term grant.  Stuff that will develop and grow the town in a sustainable way without requiring much outside assistance.

I'm not a massive expert here, my background is surveying, urban land economics, banking, training and latterly strategy and analytics so a lot of this is blue sky thinking (hate that term by the way but it pretty much is just that).

Right this town has an populace where the majority are out of work or are not working within the confines of Hartlepool (myself included).  This tells me we do have employable people with key skills and are just missing some spark to attract employers.

We have an failing retail core in the town centre.

What we need to try and do is:

A) Attract a manufacturing/engineering type company to the town to utilise some of the skillsets currently working outside of Hartlepool.

B) Breathe life into the retail core of the town to stimulate spending in town, ideally from small independent businesses so that the money is reinvested in Hartlepool, however I'm realistic enough to know that you need a couple of blue chip national chains in the retail core to attract footfalls and make the retail units attractive to others.

C) We need to encourage people to visit the town and spend money here, we have some decent tourist attractions to start bringing people in, but they're a hook, people visit them once and rarely come back...That's because there's nothing else to keep them coming back.....Back to the retail core thing again.

Those 3 things should create enough jobs to bring a bit of growth to the town, success then breeds success, people have jobs and have money to spend, having somewhere in town to spend it means they spend it here.  Because money is being spent here attracts businesses from outside, it's a virtuous circle.

I don't know how you attract the initial big company to town but surely there's people out there who have an idea?  I mean come on, there was a company wanting to build parts to supply windfarms off our coast that went elsewhere that was ideal....For the sake of growth in the town we should have been fawning over them offering them every tax, rate and rent incentive imaginable to get them in the door and set up.

There's got to be other opportunities out there too, but I bet they're going begging over this obsession with building bloody houses left right and centre?  Those should be point D on my rough list.  Build the houses for people who want to come here to work when businesses start growing.

I know the economic terrorism being wreaked by this government doesn't help but we're not helping ourselves as a town.

Discuss.

[DRiddle]

It needs a common sense approach.

agreed

It needs people to stop thinking about lining the pockets of developers who pretend they want to do what's best for the town.

agreed

It needs people in charge to think about how the economics of a small town work and plan based on that, not some government scheme or initiative or stuff that will get a short term grant.  Stuff that will develop and grow the town in a sustainable way without requiring much outside assistance.

agreed

I'm not a massive expert here, my background is surveying, urban land economics, banking, training and latterly strategy and analytics so a lot of this is blue sky thinking (hate that term by the way but it pretty much is just that).

Right this town has an populace where the majority are out of work or are not working within the confines of Hartlepool (myself included).  This tells me we do have employable people with key skills and are just missing some spark to attract employers.

I don't agree there are sufficient people in the town with the required skill set. The harsh reality is there are literally 10,000 people in Hartlepool with no qualifications whatsoever. I've said before that if Iain Wright ever did manage to attract a mayor employer to Hartlepool (don't hold your breath), there isn't currently the populace with the skill set to provide the work force required.

We have an failing retail core in the town centre.

agreed

What we need to try and do is:

A) Attract a manufacturing/engineering type company to the town to utilise some of the skillsets currently working outside of Hartlepool.

agreed

B) Breathe life into the retail core of the town to stimulate spending in town, ideally from small independent businesses so that the money is reinvested in Hartlepool, however I'm realistic enough to know that you need a couple of blue chip national chains in the retail core to attract footfalls and make the retail units attractive to others.

I agree, but we're so far behind our North East rivals in this respect it's potentially irretrievable

C) We need to encourage people to visit the town and spend money here, we have some decent tourist attractions to start bringing people in, but they're a hook, people visit them once and rarely come back...That's because there's nothing else to keep them coming back.....Back to the retail core thing again.

I can't see that happening

Those 3 things should create enough jobs to bring a bit of growth to the town, success then breeds success, people have jobs and have money to spend, having somewhere in town to spend it means they spend it here.  Because money is being spent here attracts businesses from outside, it's a virtuous circle.

I don't know how you attract the initial big company to town but surely there's people out there who have an idea?  I mean come on, there was a company wanting to build parts to supply windfarms off our coast that went elsewhere that was ideal....For the sake of growth in the town we should have been fawning over them offering them every tax, rate and rent incentive imaginable to get them in the door and set up.

You need the educated, trained, workforce FIRST or you won't attract the company. They'll do demographical studies to establish where the workforce they need is and go there. We're in a chicken and egg situation due to a failing education system and Labours apathy/complacency.

There's got to be other opportunities out there too, but I bet they're going begging over this obsession with building bloody houses left right and centre?  Those should be point D on my rough list.  Build the houses for people who want to come here to work when businesses start growing.

agreed

I know the economic terrorism being wreaked by this government doesn't help but we're not helping ourselves as a town.

Discuss.

The two major areas of economic and social deprivation across Teesside (Redcar and Middlesbrough) are about to unleash long term solutions to the same problem Hartlepool has.

However, as always, the people currently in power with the means to do something about it in Hartlepool have no idea what I'm even alluding to. They're too busy designing Ferris Wheels...

[fred c]

They could spend the Visions Funding encouraging local companies to take on a lot more Apprentices, or heaven forbid, Start a Training School specifically for Engineering Trainees.

The construction industry is desperately short of skilled workers, plumbers, bricklayers, electricians, pipefitters, welders, platers, mechanical fitters, etc etc I feel sure an Intensive NVQ Based, Pratical Course could be condensed into a 2 year time period.

I realise that it would be difficult, but no more difficult than "The Dear Leaders" Visionary Cafe Culture & Ferris Wheel project, & a bloody sight more useful & productive.......... If we have the skilled people, employers might just come to Hartlepool.

[Jamescampbell78]

Fred C - Spot on!

David - I take your point on the skills but it's worth noting that without qualifications is not the same as without skills.  It's also not that all of those don't have the capacity to gain a qualification or skill given the right motivation and opportunity.  My first banking role was considered an unskilled role.

There's also at least that amount with skills working out of town or even abroad.

I think the retail situation could be resolved by someone strategically finding a small niche that other places don't offer.  Don't ask me what that is but to me I think retail outlets in the North East are very samey....I've seen a few in places like Rheged outside of Penrith that put a slightly different spin on retail, albeit on a very small scale but the point is, all it takes is a bit of lateral thinking, some clever marketing and tying it up as unified strategic plan rather than haphazard and half a**ed ideas like we have.  Nothing is irretrievable.  10-15 years ago I thought Stockton to be one of the worst places ever, I consider that a "one to watch" now.

You're right about companies doing demographic studies but we've also got a catchment around the town with skilled workers in, our hospital proved that to an extent.  As well as employing a lot of people from the town, there were skilled people from outside of town commuting in until recently (I know a very talented IT guy who still does but is rapidly changing his mind about our town and indeed the NHS).

Keep going....We've already gathered a couple of decent ideas here with just 3 people in 2 hours.

This is proper engagement, the sort of engagement you could build into a proper white paper to say this is what our towns vision should be and how to achieve it.



 

[Inspector Knacker]

The steamship s.s. Hartlepool is desperate for it's engine to be fired up and running. But.... there's the problem... those with the the power are too busy marinating in their own juices snd indulging thrmselves in the petty  details of crewpolitics to have any time for what they were actually put there for in the first place.....the ship has no one on thr bridge while the crew debate the colour scheme for the captains cabin....which he's already decided anyway

[stokoe]

I don't think the youngsters of the town were done any favours by the council hierarchy,when the art college did such a good job of the tall ships video,Only for the council to spend X number of pounds on a vision video by some firm from outside the town,but thats the norm I'm afraid.

[seaton]

Cameron just been on TV, stated that education is what this country needs and the kids will stay at school until they have a qualification in Maths and English. Thats the problem with this country, keeping kids at school till they are 18 is not the answer. No tradesman of my era left school with any qualifications all those years ago, a good head, decent pair of hands and a willingness to work was all that was required.
When I was at school there was a 3 tier system in place after the 11 plus,
1) Top of the class went to the Academy and from there you could progress to university through the 0 Level, A Level System. These pupils would be the doctors, dentists, teachers etc.
2) Next was High School where you could achieve O Levels, leave at 16 but could if you wished could apply to the Academy to progess. The majority of pupils at this level went into apprenticeships, engineering, the financial sector and secretarial employment.
3) Finally pupils who attended what was the basic secondary schools could leave at 15 and in general found factory work, shop work etc. but if they wished could apply to go to the High School.
In those days we had an Engineering Base where jobs in Industry were plentiful. The company I served my `time` with had at least 1 apprentice for every tradesman, you were not making tea either.There were around 40 plus Tradesman.
Then we had the Thatcher Revolution (Unions had to be curbed but she went too far) and the restrictions placed on us by the Common Market, think we were the only memeber to adhere to all the rules and probably still are.
What does the UK produce now ? There are no major Engineering/Manufacturing Companies in the UK. Yes we have Car Assembly Plants in general whose owners need them to get round the import restrictions of the EU.We have no control over our Utilitiy suppliers, embarrising to think that one which is majority owned by the French Government is going to contstruct our next Nuclear Power Station assisted by the Chinese and who are they going to employ ? French Company, French employees.
I was in London recently around the Kings Cross area, littered with people with Hi Vis Jackets and not one was speaking english, joke among the tradesman in London when they go for an interview, Can you speak Polish ?
Finally look round any shops in the town, Tescos, Asda, etc during the week all are the older generation, part time workers who work the basic 16 hours or maybe on a zero hours contract, thats why there are no full time jobs for the younger generation. Saturday/Sunday,different story majority of the workers are kids doing a Saturday?Sunday job.
Finally yes I am very negative but noughts going to change as we have a load of Public Schoolboys of all party`s running the country who have never had a real job and no idea what its like at `grass roots` level.

[pensionater]

Well said Seaton totally agree,although i welcome the apprenticeships they have now they aren't what i would call real apprenticeships.The kids do one or two year's then are kicked out when the funding has gone.If they are going to train them properly they should do the 4 years we did.

[DRiddle]

As I said earlier, the two major areas of economic and social deprivation across Teesside (Redcar and Middlesbrough) are about to unleash long term solutions to the same problem Hartlepool has.

What they'll be doing is very much in line with things people on here have suggested.

However, as always, the people currently in power with the means to do something about it in Hartlepool have no idea what I'm even alluding to. They're too busy designing Ferris Wheels...

[seaton]

Exactly D Riddle the people in power including local politicians have no idea what's needed and companies are only interested in profits for their share holders.
The problem over the years that in general people have become too materialistic only looking after number one all created when the communities were destroyed by Thatcher. Look at every ex mining village through out the UK and they have huge social problems also include the Ship Building and Steel Work communities destroyed by a vengeful government.
Today's population have a couple of beers, buy some bottles of wine, order a take away,watch reality TV, watch a DVD or play games. They are not interested in politics, all they say is what can we do about it good night !

[dowager]

I mentioned it last week, the 'New Hartlepool Improvement Commissioners'  a group of (non-politicians) with many skills from the town, driving forward positive, new, non-self-serving agendas

It worked in the late 19th century and made Hartlepool No. 4 IN THE WORLD as a port and a massive centre of industry

Things have changed now, but Positive People are needed to move forward non-political agendas, cutting out local politicians, then engaging local people, enthusing local businesses, bringing together more and more people with 'real talents' ... THEN going to the people

[steveL]

Interesting post that.

I'm not sure if I would go along with it entirely. RW Jackson and Furness etc were also in it for the money, let's be honest. The difference was that their 'self-interest' was also mixed with a large amount of Civic pride - a combination that was fairly common in Victorian times.

Not much sign of it these days.

[mk1]

Jackson had the doorway of Christ Church bricked up when he fell out with the then Vicar and  mass brawls at election meetings were frequent. Not quite the 'good old days'!

[dowager]

plenty positivity there then .... 

They're doing it in Middlesbrough .. lads who have made a mint in the city and in business, prepared to put back

So, where's the Philanthropy in 'Artlepool and where are the positive people and the New Hartlepool Commissioners then ?

http://teessidecharity.org.uk/trustees/

[mk1]

plenty positivity there then .... 

They're doing it in Middlesbrough .. lads who have made a mint in the city and in business, prepared to put back

So, where's the Philanthropy in 'Artlepool and where are the positive people and the New Hartlepool Commissioners then ?

I fear we would get Niramax making the running in Hartlepool...............