Hartlepool has been given the green light for a £34m expansion of The Northern Studios, in a move support the town’s regeneration.

The plans will deliver bigger studios, alongside a new Screen Industries Production Village that will breathe life into nine disused town centre buildings – including the Grade II-listed Shades Hotel.

The project is being led by Hartlepool Borough Council with The Northern School of Art, Tees Valley Combined Authority and North East Screen. Funding has been secured from the UK Government and Tees Valley Investment Zone.

TIME + SPACE is development manager and specialist operator. Leonard Design is architect, while Stace is acting as quantity surveyor, project manager and employer’s agent.

Work on site is expected to get underway in early 2026, with construction running through to 2028.

The Northern Studios opened in 2022 and have already hosted productions including feature film Jackdaw, BBC’s Smoggie Queens and ITV’s I Fought the Law.