'Eyesore' fire-hit care home to be demolished
GoogleWork to demolish a fire-hit former care home which has been a "blight" on an area will begin this month.
Proposals submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council planning department at the end of last year to knock down the former Admiral Court care home in Cleveland Road have now been approved.
The building has been targeted by vandals, fly-tippers and arsonists since it closed 10 years ago.
The latest proposals said the structure was "no longer in use or serviceable" and work would be completed by May.
The council served the owners of Admiral Court Nursing Home with a notice giving them four months to either repair or demolish the building in February 2026, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Speaking at the time, Headland and Harbour councillor Matthew Dodds described the action as "great news," labelling the site an "eyesore" and "a real blight on the ward for such a long time".
A report by planning officers said the site would be "levelled" and cleared.
The decision notice states work should be restricted to 08:00 to 18:00 GMT Monday to Friday and until 13:00 on Saturdays.
In 2023 Admiral Court was one of the top three properties in the town on a derelict buildings hit list of 27 sites which council chiefs were aiming to tackle.
It has been empty since it closed as a care home in 2015 after inspectors found a number of failings.
Metal shutters were installed in 2021 after action by the council, police and fire service to restrict access.
