Work on Hartlepool's Highlight leisure centre to begin

Hartlepool Council will start work on the new centre later this year

Work on a multimillion-pound leisure centre will begin in November after being delayed, a council said.

The Highlight will be built next to Hartlepool Marina and include three swimming pools, a gym, café and soft play areas.

Work had been due to start in April but the project was delayed following the impact from the pandemic.

The delay had prompted some concerns among residents over whether the project was still going ahead.

But Hartlepool Borough Council leader Mike Young said contractors would "break ground" on the project, which will be at the former Jackson's Landing next to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, in several weeks.

"One of the things that our administration has been really passionate about is making sure that before we even put a drawing out into the public, that we have the funds in place to deliver what we need to deliver," he said.

"That is still the case, we still have the funds in place to deliver the Highlight, conversations inside based on inflation and other impacts on that have been held."

Funding for the scheme had been approved in 2020, while the plans were approved in July last year.

Mr Young said senior council officers had since been "working tirelessly to bring the scheme together".

The leisure centre will feature a main, leisure and education swimming pool once it opens to the public, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It has also been granted permission to host outdoor events until 23:00 BST.

At the time, the council's former leader said he was "delighted".