Regeneration Plans for Vandal-Plagued Buildings Stall After Repossession Notice...

'Advanced RS Developments', the business which promised a £25m pound redevelopment of a decaying site has been plunged into insolvency, leaving the sites future unknown....

15th Jan 2025

Efforts to breathe new life into two vandal-stricken buildings in Hartlepool's Town Centre have hit a major roadblock, after HBC Exposed's learned the properties, known as 'The Willows' and the adjacent former Engineers Club, have now been repossessed following insolvency proceedings against the developer which bought the crumbling structures, casting serious doubt over the future of the site..

A Promising Start Ends in Major Disappointment....

Rob Collier, the now former Director for the defunct business promised locals a major regeneration effort for the site when he spoke to a local newspaper last year..

The two buildings, long plagued by arson and vandalism, were central to a proposed £25 million redevelopment project to compliment the wider regeneration efforts of the nearby Middleton Grange Shopping Centre & a multi million pound redevelopment of the former Wesley Chapel, which is being converted into a hotel by the private developers Jomast....

As part of wider regeneration plans for the Town Centre Area, 'Advanced RS Developments Ltd' secured planning permission to demolish the Willows building & The former engineers club, replacing them with modern retail units and apartments. This ambitious plan was heralded as a much-needed solution to the dereliction that had blighted the area for several years...

Yet another 'pipe dream' sold to locals, as its claimed the firm underpinning the development had neither the cash or the resources to complete the multi million pound development, & that selling it on was the ultimate goal for the business.

However, doubts about the project’s viability reportedly began to surface almost immediately after planning permission was granted by Hartlepool Borough Council, with numerous sources telling HBC Exposed that the then director of 'Advanced RS Developments', Mr. Collier, lacked the financial resources to undertake such a large-scale project, with the true intent behind obtaining planning permission was to increase the site's market value for a subsequent sale, rather than to carry out the actual redevelopment of the site itself. .

Shortly after planning permission was approved by councillors—who were said to have been eager to see an end to the site’s decay—the property was then quietly listed for sale through the estate agent 'Collier Estates', who rather ironically was directed by no other than Rob Collier, the then director of Advanced RS Developments, with the approved plans attached to the sale which if successful, would have netted Mr Colliers business a considerable profit, the sale of the site left many locals questioning whether the council performed adequate due diligence before granting approval on the site.

Continued Decline and Legal Developments

Since the last major arson attack on the site, the condition of both buildings has further deteriorated. Numerous break-ins have been reported, exacerbating the two buildings already decayed state, whereby This week, a source invited a HBC Exposed reporter to visit the site, where it was confirmed that a repossession notice had been attached to the properties.

Two people were arrested on suspicion of Arson when the last fire occurred at the derelict premises back in 2024..

A notice placed on The Willows, formerly the council’s registry office, revealed the properties are now under the management of official receivers Edward Gee and Daniel Richardson. The document states that possession proceedings were granted effective from the 11th October 2024.

The repossession notices, which have been attached to the two buildings... (Pic Credit HBC Exposed)

Advanced RS Developments Faces Liquidation

With its accounts overdue, its likely the firm will be liquidated, along with its reportedly 'significant debts'

Adding to the uncertainty, its claimed Advanced RS Developments is now reportedly in the process of being liquidated, after its claimed the firm was unable to meet its financial liabilities, with official Receivers officially appointed on 2nd December 2024, leaving the fate of the two crumbling buildings hanging in the balance.

What Now for the regeneration plans ?

With no clear path forward, its claimed the local community is left fearing the building will become yet another Odeon Cinema in the making & left for decades to rot, with the latest regeneration setback underscoring ongoing concerns about Hartlepool’s approach to regeneration & its failure to come down hard on lazy developers.

The failure of the regeneration effort for The Willows and the Engineers Club is said to raise serious questions about the council’s vetting of developers as well as Hartlepool Borough Councils ability to get tough on those who buy up decaying structures without either putting them back into use or regenerating the sites for the good of the local economy.

For residents, the repossession marks yet another chapter in Hartlepool's long and frustrating history of stalled progress and unmet expectations.

As the buildings’ future........., HBC Exposed will continue to investigate and bring updates to our readers as we get them !