Plans to knock down fire-hit care home

Admiral Court in Hartlepool has been the scene of several fires since it closed 10 years ago

A fire-hit former care home could be demolished under new plans.

Hartlepool Borough Council has received an initial application seeking to confirm if the derelict Admiral Court building can be knocked down.

Dubbed a "real blight" on the area, the site has sustained several deliberate fires, vandalism and fly-tipping since it closed in 2015 after inspectors found a number of failings.

The proposal to the council's planning department states due to the Cleveland Road building being "fire damaged", it is "much cheaper to demolish" it than take other actions.

It comes after the Labour-led council served the owners with a notice in February giving them four months to repair or demolish the building.

Speaking at the time, Headland and Harbour councillor Matthew Dodds said the site was an "eyesore" and had been "a real blight on the ward for such a long time".

Metal shutters were installed in 2021 to restrict access, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Admiral Court, pictured before it was closed, was found to have had a number of failings by care quality inspectors

The proposal, known as a prior notification application, has been lodged by local authority officers seeking to confirm the site can be demolished.

It added that if approved, work would begin in January.

In 2023, Admiral Court was one of the top three properties in the town on a derelict buildings hit list, which council chiefs were aiming to tackle.