Delayed £36m leisure centre to open in June
Hartlepool Borough CouncilA £36m leisure centre with three swimming pools is due to open in the summer.
Hartlepool Borough Council said the Highlight Active Wellbeing hub, near the marina, would open on 10 June.
The site will replace the Mill House Leisure Centre, which will close on 30 April and leave locals without access to a council-run pool for the entirety of May due to staff training.
Construction of the Highlight began more than two years ago, in January 2024.
Work had been due to start on the leisure centre in April 2023 but was delayed for months due to spiralling costs and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A council spokesperson said the leisure centre's final cost was now expected to be £35.8m. It had initially been estimated to cost £25.6m.
The site will have three swimming pools, two fitness studio and a cafe overlooking the marina.
The local authority's Labour leader Pamela Hargreaves said she was "incredibly excited" to open the new centre.
"Highlight is a major investment in the future health and wellbeing of our community," she said.
"It represents the very best of what we set out to achieve through our regeneration programme - modern, high-quality facilities that will benefit residents of all ages for many years to come."
