The redevelopment of Seaton Carew’s Staincliffe Hotel into apartments faces uncertainty as investor issues arise
Seaton Carew: Plans to turn the old Staincliffe Hotel into apartments are in jeopardy. The project might be shelved unless new investors step in.
Acland Homes bought the hotel back in July 2023 and had big plans to redevelop it into residential apartments. They were looking to create 35 apartments and were all set to submit their plans to Hartlepool Council.
But now, things have changed. Stephen Litherland, the managing director, mentioned that one of their investors has backed out. This leaves them with two choices: sell the property or find another investor to keep the project alive.
Mr. Litherland prefers to find a new partner since they’ve already invested a lot of time and money into this project. He pointed out that smaller companies like theirs often need help from outside investors to make these big projects happen. If they can’t find anyone, they might have to sell the site, which would be a real shame.
The hotel closed its doors on Boxing Day 2023 and has been boarded up since then to keep it secure. In November, local residents were invited to a consultation to discuss future plans for the site, which could mean the historic building might be demolished.
Originally, they wanted to create 41 luxury apartments, but after some pushback from the community, they scaled it back to 35 apartments over three stories.
Mr. Litherland said they’ve been working hard on all the necessary surveys and reports to support their planning application. He’s also open to anyone interested in investing or buying the site to reach out to him directly.
The Staincliffe Hotel used to be a 21-bedroom hotel with a restaurant and bar, sitting on a large plot of about 1.45 acres. It’s a significant piece of local history, and many are hoping to see it revived.
