A £33.5 million major expansion of film and television production facilities in Hartlepool is now underway, following planning approval being granted for a new development.
The Northern Studios will undergo an expansion, including the construction of larger studios and the installation of industry-leading equipment and facilities. In addition, a Screen Industries Production Village will be developed in the surrounding area, repurposing nine disused buildings into pre and post-production spaces, workshops, and collaborative hubs for creatives.
Among the buildings to be revitalised is the Grade-II listed Shades Hotel, which will be brought back into use alongside several other heritage properties.
The project is being led by Hartlepool Borough Council, in partnership with The Northern School of Art, Tees Valley Combined Authority and North East Screen, the region’s screen industries development agency. Funding for the project has been secured from the UK Government and Tees Valley Investment Zone.
TIME + SPACE is acting as development manager and specialist operations and facilities manager in partnership with Leonard Design Architects and Stace, who is acting as Quantity Surveyor and Construction Project Manager/ Employers Agent on the project.
Piers Read, CEO of TIME + SPACE, said: “TIME + SPACE is delighted to have advised on this hugely significant regeneration in Hartlepool. 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: “Leonard Design is proud to be designing and delivering the transformational Hartlepool Screen Industries Production Village and Northern Studios expansion, working alongside TIME + SPACE and in collaboration with Hartlepool Borough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority. 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.
“Working together with our partners TIME + SPACE, Hartlepool Borough Council, Tees Valley Corporation Authority and the wider project team, we have been pleased to support the delivery of this planning consent for the new studios, production village and ancillary buildings in a way that responds to the specialist needs of this sector, the parameters of its funding, and local context.”
The Northern Studios, which opened in 2022, has already hosted high-profile productions including the feature film Jackdaw, BBC’s Smoggie Queens, and ITV’s I Fought the Law.
With planning approvals now in place and funding secured, construction is expected to begin within the coming months.
Jon Creamer
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