The Hartlepool drug and alcohol service will temporarily relocate. This is part of a £3.6 million redevelopment plan for its current Whitby Street centre. The service provides vital support to individuals facing substance misuse. It will move to Bevan House on Avenue Road in April. Council authorities declared the existing facility unfit for purpose, prompting the need for the upcoming rebuild.

The new centre will address the rising demand for substance misuse support in Hartlepool.The design modernises and expands services, offering improved facilities for those seeking help with addiction. During a Safer Hartlepool Partnership meeting, council leader Councillor Brenda Harrison reassured residents that the move is temporary. She stated, “It won’t last forever and I don’t think it will last very long to be fair,” emphasising the importance of the new development.

Start, a collaboration between Hartlepool Borough Council and clinical care organisation Foundations, operates the Hartlepool drug and alcohol service. This partnership delivers essential treatment to adults and young people. It works to combat substance misuse and encourage healthier, drug-free lifestyles in the community.

The council abandoned previous plans to build a new centre at the Roker Street car park after public pushback in 2023. Now, the redevelopment of the existing Whitby Street site signals progress. It aims to enhance local support for those affected by drug and alcohol use.

The temporary move aims to minimise disruption while the new centre is constructed. The council and its partners remain committed to delivering a state-of-the-art facility. This facility will meet the community’s long-term needs in reducing substance misuse and its impacts.

Source: Hartlepool Mail