The project formally commenced in November2023. Work is currently progressing on site. Highlight is scheduled to open to the public in early 2026.

The timeline for the project to date is:

• January 2020 - Hartlepool Borough Council agreed to explore/develop options for a new leisure centre.

• January 2021 - GT3 Architects appointed.

• February 2022 - Sport England funding secured.

• July 2022 - Planning permission granted.

• March 2023 - Procurement of a principal contractor commenced.

• April 2023 - Wates Ltd appointed as principal contractor.

• September 2023 - Councillors approved revised funding package.

• November 2023 – the project formally commenced

• January - April 2024 – groundworks and piling work was completed

• May 2024 – construction of foundations work package currently being delivered

• July 2024 – construction of superstructure commenced

• August 2024 – first floor construction commenced

• September 2024 – steel frame complete

• October 2024 – installation of cladding backing panels commenced

• November 2024 – pool stabilisation tests commenced

• December 2024 – installation of cladding commenced

• January 2025 – external glazing commenced

• February 2025 – pool stabilisation tests complete

• March 2025 – pool tiling commenced

Highlight will be a fully-accessible, modern, efficient and “green” wellbeing facility which will include:

• A 25m 8-lane main pool

• A 25m 4-lane learner pool with movable floor

• A leisure pool including race slide and water play features

• Spectator seating

• A 100-station gym

• Two inter-connected fitness studios

• An indoor cycling/”spinning” studio

• Active and soft play areas

• A party room

• A café

• An NHS consultation suite

• External ground and first-floor terraces

• Access to outdoor water sports provision

There will be 88 car parking spaces, 8 disabled car parking spaces, 2 electric charging points, 50 cycle spaces and the provision of 2 bus parking bays, adjacent to the outdoor changing facility, for use by school buses connected to school swimming. The intention is that the car park at Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub will be “free of charge” for all users of the facility, full details will be finalised and shared prior to the opening of the facility.

Deciding upon Highlight’s facilities and the activities it should cater for was a thorough and robust process. This involved applying the Council’s Indoor Facilities & Playing Pitch Strategy and Sport England’s Strategic Outcomes Planning Model to the development and - as part of those processes - consultation with local people and organisations.

Highlight does not include an indoor sports hall, as strategic analysis has previously indicated that there is sufficient sports hall provision to meet local needs. We intend to refresh the Indoor Facility & Playing Pitch Strategy in early 2024 to ensure that we have a very clear and current understanding of the future demand for sports halls.

Highlight will not include spa facilities. Again, strategic analysis determined that this was not part of the optimal facility mix required for leisure in the town.

The following statement was shared in full at Hartlepool Borough Council’s Council meeting on 20th February 2025, in response to a petition raised on the matter and a discussion held within the meeting itself.

No further consideration will therefore be given to reversing previous decisions regarding the provision of a sauna/steamroom at the facility.

Why wasn’t the sauna/steam room re-opened following Covid?

Facilities were reopened cautiously post-Covid, particularly those with very little or no mechanical ventilation; where physical contact was significant and where disease transmission was most likely (all of which apply to a sauna and steam room).

The sauna, steam room, rest area and associated toilets were in a very poor condition prior to Covid and did not meet basic quality standards, resulting in repeated, regular and justified complaints about the facilities.

In the four years leading up to Covid the facilities generated approximately £4k per year in income, however the associated operational and maintenance costs far exceeded the income (as an example, in 2019 alone we spent nearly £5k on repairs). It was estimated that bringing the areas up to an acceptable standard would cost over £40k and capital funding was not available to support this, particularly given the development of Highlight and the limited life of Mill House Leisure Centre as a result.

Why weren’t (Active Hartlepool) members consulted or surveyed about the new development?

Residents across Hartlepool and users of Mill House Leisure Centre and other Council venues were consulted on future leisure provision on a number of occasions.

Active Hartlepool conduct annual surveys of users and non–users and the 7 surveys conducted between 2020 and 2024 collected 870 responses which included 22 comments in favour of having a steam room and sauna. Throughout the surveys people were asked what the top 5 considerations were when looking for a facility and “to use and steam room/sauna” did not feature in the top 5 reasons given.

As part of the planning for Highlight there has been extensive analysis and research of information and community responses. In 2019 a piece of work on ‘Future of Leisure Facilities in Hartlepool’ looked at how and why people use leisure facilities; what they would like to see in new facilities and where new facilities should be located. The consultation was online and in person, including face-to-face opportunities at Mill House Leisure Centre. 1,001 people completed the survey and a sauna or steam room ranked 20th out of 23 options in importance for facilities to be provided. Of 451 written comments in response to questions, there were no references to demand for a sauna or steam room from respondents.

In 2020 Sport England’s Strategic Outcomes Planning Model was used to identify current and future participation and demand, to help inform the facility mix for the new strategic leisure facility. It included an online community survey which generated 607 responses and, although there was no specific question which asked respondents to list the facilities that they would like to see, there were no references to sauna or steam room facilities in response to any of the questions asked. Customers at Mill House Leisure Centre and other leisure and sport sites were actively encouraged to participate in the respective surveys.

Why wasn’t a sauna/steam incorporated in Highlight?

Sport and leisure facility planning must consider current and future demand to ensure that whatever is developed can secure capital investment and is sustainable.

The Strategic Outcomes Planning Model in 2020/21 identified the community need and demand; how outcomes could be delivered sustainably and the proposed facility mix for Highlight, Brierton and Headland Sports Hall.

The facility mix for Highlight was based on the Strategic Outcomes Planning Model and Sport England’s strategy and funding priorities and took into account making best use of the space available, capital costs and operating costs, which resulted in a focus on:

· Optimising opportunities for people to become more active, more often

· Young families and intergenerational activity

· Facilities which reflected demand (including aquatics; gym; fitness; wellbeing; children’s play and access to the marina/watersports)

· Facilities and services that could generate income to support the operation of the building (i.e. NHS leased consultation suites; commercial café operator)

· Being as energy efficient and “green” as possible.

The funding model for Highlight includes contributions from Sport England and Tees Valley Combined Authority. The investment that has been secured is subject to grant and business case conditions and a steam room and sauna would not fulfil these requirements because the evidence base does not support this.

Furthermore, based on revenue projections and the evidence base, the option to include a sauna or steam room was discounted on the grounds of limited demand; significant operational costs and the likely requirement for significant maintenance and investment to maintain service quality.

Summary

In summary there has been extensive community engagement, analysis of evidence base and analysis of financial implications extending back to 2018.

It was not viable to include a sauna or steam room in Highlight without a stronger evidence base and doing so would have been to the detriment of other facilities with a far stronger case for inclusion, either due to commercial viability, contribution to socio-economic outcomes or providing access to facilities with a wider population level demand.

To include a facility at this stage in the project would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, as a minimum, and would result in extensive time delays as well as significant risk to the completion of the overall scheme, meeting grant obligations and fulfilling our contracts.

The movable floor is a significant component of the facility, as Highlight will be the town’s main leisure and wellbeing facility for many years to come, so it’s important that it is future-proofed to accommodate changing and growing demands.

The moveable floor offers much greater flexibility in the use of that area, increased opportunity for income generation. The movable floor allows for quick adjustments to pool depths so that it can be used by different activities, user groups and purposes in a way that a standard pool floor doesn’t. For example, we can set the floor at full depth for swimming or reduce depths for aquatic fitness activities for people with poor mobility, parent and baby classes and children’s learn to swim. By having the floor at “deck level” the area can even be used for “dry activities” - from low impact fitness classes to enabling spectating at club galas.

Highlight will be family-focussed and provide the opportunity for people of all ages to be active and to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

Highlight has been designed with climate net zero and operational budget sustainability in mind, whether by minimising energy use or by “designing-out” undue operating costs. This approach reflects the Council’s strategic stance.

In an independent report, analysis showed that Highlight’s energy consumption will be significantly better than the existing building stock of leisure centres in the UK. The gas load will be in line with the lowest 10% of typical buildings.

Construction costs have increased due to factors outside the Council’s control, including inflation, the impact of the pandemic on the construction industry and increasing energy costs.

Additional funding required is being provided through additional Sport England grant, a review of Council capital funding allocations, contingency funds and borrowing. Due to the nature of the funding package, the construction costs will have no impact on residents’ Council Tax bills.

The name was selected by a judging panel from a shortlist following a public competition in 2021. The panel agreed that Highlight was a fitting name for the new building, given its proximity to the existing Highlight memorial on The Waterfront.

Mill House Leisure Centre has been operating for over 50years - long beyond its intended lifespan – and is coming to the end of its economic life. The centre will be demolished after Highlight is operational. The Mill House Leisure Centre site sits within the Hartlepool Development Corporation, plans for which continue to be developed.

There will be a range of job opportunities, including cleaning and catering roles, fitness instructors, coaches, lifeguards, swimming teachers and facility management. If you’re interested in joining the team or looking for support with training (i.e. as a lifeguard) contact us at active.hartlepool@hartlepool.gov.uk

Within the Council’s Indoor Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategy it was identified that there was enough sports hall space within the town without replacing the sports hall that is currently in Mill House Leisure Centre. We will be working with other venues to ensure all of the current bookings within Mill House Leisure Centre have somewhere to move to when the venue is closed.

Highlight will not include squash courts, moving forward. We are revisiting the Council’s strategic Indoor Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategy in the coming months however and will re-evaluate the level of demand and need for future provision, as part of that robust process.

The development at Highlight will not include an ice skating rink. The specialist nature of such facilities and the proximity of facilities in Billingham resulted in this type of facility being discounted very early in the process of developing new facilities in Hartlepool.

Highlight will be fully accessible for wheelchair users or those with mobility impairments, with provision made through: provision of dedicated disabled car parking spaces; external level or ramped access into the building; provision of disabled toilets; provision of disabled changing cubicles; lift access to the first floor facilities; provision of specialist, accessible gym equipment; the provision of “pool pods” - state of the art hoists - to enable wheelchair users to independently access the 25m x 8 lane and 25m x 4 lane pools.

The 25 x 4 lane pool will also have a moveable floor, to further improve access for people with mobility impairments.

We're excited to announce that we will continue working with Technogym for the fit out of the gym and spinning studio at Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub, with their latest range of high quality equipment. But it's not just Highlight that is getting the state-of-the art new gym equipment and spinning bikes, customers will also be able to try out the new kit in 2025 at Headland Sports Centre and Brierton Sports Centre too!

Technogym is one of the world’s leading specialists in high-end sports equipment and digital technologies with a focus on supporting healthier people and communities through responsible design and wellness for all. So we're confident that they will be able to help us create inclusive and connected fitness opportunities for the whole community to access.

Keep your eyes peeled for the new proposed gym layouts and installation dates. We can't wait to share it with you all.

Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub will open to the public in early 2026.

The pricing structure for Highlight is yet to be fully finalised, however it will reflect our general approach to concessions and will include a number of membership package options.

The swimming pool changing village within Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub will be a unisex changing village.

The projected throughput of 500k/year, generated in consultation with local and national industry experts, reflects the nature, range and scope of facilities and opportunities offered at Highlight and its ancillary, external facilities.

Yes, cash payments will be accepted at Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub.

Supporting access to Highlight is really important to us. We are exploring opportunities and solutions in relation to cycling, cycle storage, pedestrian access and car parking, alongside other partners, as part of the Council's Waterfront Connectivity proposals.

There will be an opportunity for programmed open water swimming outdoors, adjacent to Highlight, once the facility is open, although final plans are to be agreed with On Water, the owner and operator of the marina.

The NHS will use the consultation suites to support local people dealing with a range of medical conditions. The NHS rooms cannot be hired or rented. Other rooms in Highlight will be available for bookings, dependent upon the purpose and nature of the request.