THE GREEN

Only three years ago, the area now known as The Green was a long-standing area of housing market failure. Over 200 empty properties had been assembled under the former HMRI Pathfinder and in some cases, properties had been sat empty for over a decade. 

The high concentration of empty homes in a relatively small area had significant socioeconomic impacts on the local community including petty crime, fly tipping, and falling property values.

Place the first acquired the site from Hartlepool Borough Council in late 2015. Its plan from the start was to work with the distinctive heritage of the Victorian terrace, bring the homes into the 21st century, and remodel the site to create conditions for a community to flourish.

To ensure The Green would appeal to a diverse, family-focussed community, the traditional Victorian alleys and yards have been remodelled into a mix of secure gardens and terraces. Streets have been remodelled and a new one-way system introduced to calm traffic. 

At its heart, The Green has a new urban park (managed by Place First as part of its long-term commitment to the neighbourhood) overlooked by the majority of new homes, providing a safe, attractive space for children to play and neighbours to socialise.

The Green launched in Summer 2017 and received 200 registers of interest in the first weekend. Since then we have received over 4000 applications for 83 homes in an area. The Green is currently at an average occupancy rate of over 90% and over 50% of residents previously lived within 1 mile, demonstrating strong local appetite for a better rental offer.