Lights, camera, action for Northern Studios
Hartlepool’s film and television production facilities have been given the go-ahead for a £33m expansion, which will include the construction of larger studios and repurposing of nine disused buildings into a production village.
The production village will house pre- and post-production spaces, workshops, and collaborative hubs.
Led by Hartlepool Borough Council in partnership with the Northern School of Art, Tees Valley Combined Authority, and North East Screen, funding for the project has been secured from the UK Government and Tees Valley Investment Zone.
Time + Space is development manager on the project, which has been designed by Leonard Design Architects with Stace as quantity surveyor and construction project manager.
Plans for the expansion went in in June, and work is expected to start in the next few months.
The 30,000 sq ft studio complex opened at the end of 2022 and was funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council.
Among the buildings to be revitalised is the grade two-listed Shades Hotel, which will be brought back into use alongside several other heritage properties.
Piers Read, chief executive of Time + Space, said: “As specialists in developing creatively-led real estate, we are excited to be going forward by revitalising these much loved but overlooked urban spaces by turning them into vibrant communities driven by film, entertainment, media and hospitality.”
John Holden, director major projects at Leonard Design, said: “This visionary project establishes Hartlepool as the North East’s premier creative district, creating significant employment while transforming disused town centre buildings into vibrant creative workspaces and securing the town’s place at the heart of the UK’s rapidly expanding screen industries sector.”
Simon Hugill, partner at Stace, said “This success marks the next step in a transformational masterplan for Hartlepool and Tees Valley, which will have a rippling impact across the UK’s creative industries.
“It will catalyse regeneration in Hartlepool and drive further investment, as intended by the Levelling Up Funding it has received for the production village and ancillary buildings.”
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor said: “The expansion of The Northern Studios and the creation of a brand-new TV and film production village will put our region firmly on the map as a home for world-class screen industries.
“Not only will this huge investment bring derelict buildings back to life, it will also create high-quality jobs and opportunities for local people in an exciting and growing sector.
“We have already seen through shows like I Fought The Law how we are telling powerful and engaging stories about Teesside, Hartlepool and Darlington – and these new facilities will build on that to deliver something truly transformational for the town and wider region.”
This is potentially a really good thing for that area of the town. Hartlepool has some fantastic heritage assets, with some sadly lost to very dodgy owners in recent years. This could help bring life to a historic area that has struggled to attract tenants. Hartlepool has many issues but also so much potential – let’s hope this pans out as hoped.
By Al