Hartlepool Borough Council

What Hartlepool Borough Council does

Hartlepool Borough Council is a unitary local government authority in North East England, founded in 1974, serving a population of approximately 93,000 residents across the borough. The Council is the sole statutory provider of core municipal services including adult and children's social care, waste and recycling (with weekly food waste collections to ~30,000 homes and a booking-only Household Waste Recycling Centre), housing allocation and tenancy services, planning, licensing, council tax administration, public health, libraries, and cultural services. It is governed by elected councillors and funded primarily through Council Tax, central government grants (including Formula Grant, ring-fenced grants, and competitive programmes such as Changing Futures at £2.39m), and transactional fees for licensing, parking, planning, and leisure services.

The Council operates a digital services portal at online.hartlepool.gov.uk built on the Jadu CMS, with back-office IT provided by Northgate Public Services and care case management handled via CareFirst/Controcc and the Affinity database. Service delivery combines the digital portal with a physical network of community hubs, libraries, leisure facilities (Headland Sports Centre, Brierton Sports Centre, and the newly opened Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub with embedded NHS consultation suites operated in partnership with University Hospitals Tees), the Museum of Hartlepool, the Art Gallery, and direct in-person service delivery. Recent capital investment has been substantial: £33.5m for the Screen Industries Production Village (with The Northern School of Art and North East Screen), £20m over ten years through the Pride in Place programme, and £2.46m in DCMS funding for the Museum's green upgrade.

The go-to-market model is direct-to-resident service delivery across multiple channels (online self-service, community hubs and libraries, leisure facilities, and field service delivery), with named customer segments including residents (~93,000), local businesses (serviced via licensing, rates, and grants up to £20,000 under the Business Improvement Capital Grant scheme), vulnerable adults, children and families, schools, and visitors. Pricing follows a tiered structure: subscription-based Council Tax by property band, monthly Active Hartlepool memberships from £18.50, annual wristband subscriptions at £2, and transaction fees for licenses, parking, planning, and commercial waste. The organisation employs 1,001-5,000 staff and is headquartered at the Civic Centre on Victoria Road. No external revenue figure is disclosed; the entity is publicly funded with no equity ownership.

Name

Hartlepool Borough Council

Legal name

Hartlepool Borough Council

Website

https://hartlepool.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hartlepool Borough Council is a unitary local government authority serving approximately 93,000 residents in North East England, providing statutory public services including social care, waste management, housing, planning, licensing, libraries, and leisure through digital portals, community hubs, and direct delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Public Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Waste management services
• Adult social care
• Council tax administration
• Public leisure facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartlepool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary source of local government funding collected from residents and businesses based on property values. Used to fund core council services including social care, waste management, and community services.
2. Government Grants: Central government funding including Formula Grant and specific ring-fenced grants for services such as public health, housing, and regeneration projects.
3. Leisure Services Revenue: Revenue from Active Hartlepool leisure facilities including Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub memberships starting from £18.50 and wristband subscriptions at £2 per year.
4. Service Fees and Charges: Fees for specific services including licensing, planning applications, parking fines, building control, registrars services, and commercial waste collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hartlepool Borough Council is the unitary local government authority delivering statutory public services to approximately 93,000 residents across Hartlepool borough, including waste and recycling collection, adult and children's social care, housing, council tax administration, planning and building control, licensing, environmental health, education support, and cultural and leisure facilities. It also operates commercial-style leisure facilities (Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub, sports centres, Active Hartlepool memberships), licensing and permitting services for businesses, and major regeneration programmes including the £33.5m Screen Industries Production Village and £20m Pride in Place investment.

Product overview

Hartlepool Borough Council operates as a local government authority providing comprehensive public services to residents. The council offers a unified digital platform (hartlepool.gov.uk) enabling access to over 25 service areas including waste management, adult and children's social care, housing, planning, licensing, benefits, and cultural services. Key facilities include the Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub (multi-million pound leisure and health facility), Community Hubs and Libraries network, Museum of Hartlepool, and Hartlepool Art Gallery. The council operates Active Hartlepool as its leisure services brand, managing fitness facilities across multiple venues. The council's Pride in Place programme is delivering £20m regeneration investment over ten years, including the £33.5m Screen Industries Production Village. Most services offer online self-service options through the council website, with digital integration to third-party providers for specialized services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub
• Active Hartlepool Leisure Memberships
• Community Hubs and Libraries
• Waste and Recycling Services
• Adult Social Care Services
• Children and Families Services
• Housing Services
• Planning and Building Control Services
• Doink Sexual Health Service
• Licensing Services
• Council Tax Administration
• Parking Services
• Museum of Hartlepool
• Hartlepool Art Gallery
• Hartlepool Markets

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 homes receiving weekly food waste collections with 300 tonnes diverted from general waste
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University Hospitals TeescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Partnership with University Hospitals Tees at the Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub. For the first time, residents can access NHS services from four dedicated consultation suites within a leisure and wellbeing environment. The ambition is for Highlight to operate as one integrated team with colleagues from Active Hartlepool and University Hospitals Tees working seamlessly side by side.
• The Northern School of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the £33.5m Screen Industries Production Village project. The Northern School of Art is collaborating on developing creative education and training opportunities alongside the production facilities.
• North East ScreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in the Screen Industries Production Village project, bringing industry expertise and connections to the screen sector development in Hartlepool.
• Tees Valley Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for little tern conservation at Seaton Carew beach. Wardens and volunteers from the Trust monitor the colony, engage with visitors, and protect the nesting site. Works with the council on seasonal dog exclusion zones.
• Keep Britain TidyminorOthersEnvironmental charity that awarded Seaton Carew a top quality beach award. Partnership involves beach quality standards and environmental initiatives.
• Hartlepool BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseeing the long-term Pride in Place programme investing £20 million over ten years. The Board comprises residents, businesses, community organisations, strategic partners and others with strong connection to the borough. More than 1,400 residents participated in community engagement.
• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working for the Changing Futures programme to provide coordinated support for residents facing multiple disadvantage. Includes improving information sharing and embedding trauma-informed practice.
• Probation ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Changing Futures programme working to coordinate support for adults experiencing multiple disadvantage.
• Voluntary and Community SectorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Changing Futures programme contributing to coordinated support services for residents facing multiple disadvantage.
• People with Lived ExperienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvolvement in the Changing Futures programme to ensure person-centred approach and learn from people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage.
• Future Arts CentresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Our Freedom: Then and Now' national photography exhibition touring to Hartlepool. Developed exhibition celebrating communities and freedom.
• Open Eye GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Our Freedom: Then and Now' national photography exhibition. Commissioned 22 photographers to work with communities across the UK.
• GT3 ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAward-winning architects who designed the Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub alongside the Council's in-house expertise.
• Wates ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading contractor that constructed the Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub for Hartlepool Borough Council.
• Leonard DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustry specialists engaged for the £33.5m Screen Industries Production Village project development.
• StaceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustry specialists engaged for the £33.5m Screen Industries Production Village project development.
• TIME + SPACEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustry specialists engaged for the £33.5m Screen Industries Production Village project development.
• The Cycle PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Hartlepool Borough Council to deliver Learn 2 Ride cycling courses for children during Easter holidays.
• Bikeability TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational cycling education organization partnering with the council for Learn 2 Ride cycling courses for children.
• PreventxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's largest provider of online sexual health services delivering the 'Doink' free condom initiative for Teesside region including Hartlepool.
• Teesside TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated sexual health service providing free condoms across Teesside local authority areas including Hartlepool.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Middlesbrough Council: Tees Valley unitary authority with a comparable deprivation profile and similar service mix. Comparable operating model, including waste management, social care, and regeneration activity in the same combined-authority area.
• Darlington Borough Council: Tees Valley unitary authority of similar size operating the same statutory service portfolio. Comparable for shared services, regeneration initiatives, and combined-authority funding arrangements.
• Halton Borough Council: Small unitary authority in the North West with a comparable deprivation and demographic profile. Comparable in scale of council tax base and dependence on central-government funding for service delivery.
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council: Neighbouring Tees Valley unitary authority of similar scale and demographic profile. Directly comparable as a fellow unitary local authority operating waste, social care, housing, and leisure services in the same region.
• South Tyneside Council: North East metropolitan borough council of similar size and coastal/deprivation profile. Comparable statutory service delivery, regeneration portfolio, and central-government funding dependency.
• Torbay Council: Small coastal unitary authority with similar deprivation patterns and economic challenges. Comparable for tourism, leisure, waste, and regeneration service delivery in a constrained tax base.
• North Tyneside Council: North East unitary authority of comparable scale; Hartlepool's incoming Director of Public Health was previously Deputy DPH here. Comparable service mix, deprivation patterns, and regeneration activity in the same region.
• Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council: Tees Valley unitary authority of similar size and coastal economic profile. Closely comparable for waste, housing, and leisure services delivered under the same combined-authority framework.
• Blackpool Council: Coastal unitary authority with one of the highest deprivation rankings in England. Closely comparable in operating context, demand for social care, and reliance on central-government regeneration funding.
• Knowsley Council: Small unitary authority with a deprivation profile and demographic structure highly comparable to Hartlepool. Comparable for service demand pressure, council tax constraints, and regeneration funding dependency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HpoolCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/hpoolcouncil
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/hartlepool-borough-council

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hartlepool Borough Council