Bad news for Wingfield Castle. The Hartlepool Mail has reported:
“A major revamp of the Museum of Hartlepool and historic paddle steamer Wingfield Castle faces being abandoned after the estimated cost of the project has more than doubled.
The Tides of Change project has been led by Hartlepool Borough Council to improve visitors’ experience of the museum and re-open the Wingfield Castle to the public after a number of years.
Council chiefs previously called the plans “very exciting” and said the project would “contribute significantly to the regeneration of the Waterfront”.
The plans were awarded £631,440 by the National Lottery in 2023 towards their development, based on anticipated project cost of £9.6m.
Council officers put together an application for the next phase of which covered a re-imagining of the Museum of Hartlepool; restoration of the Wingfield Castle; activity programme supporting work during and after the construction phases; and masterplan for the museum site and the surrounding area.
But councillors are now being urged not to proceed with the Tides of Change after the overall estimated cost has more than doubled from £9.6m to over £21.1m.
A report of the council’s Housing, Growth and Communities Committee says unforeseen works, a £9.6 funding gap to the council, and risk of costs increasing further puts the authority at “too great a financial risk”.
A report to councillors states: “Although some funds are in place, no viable funding solution has been identified to close this gap.”
The restoration of the Wingfield Castle is described as a significant part of the application, and various options have been investigated.
The report adds: “It was concluded that the most cost-effective solution to repair the ship is to lift it on to a cradle and repair it at the side of the quay where it is currently moored.”
But it goes on to say there is a significant risk costs could escalate and the true cost of restoration is currently unknown.
The report acknowledges that further deterioration of the Wingfield Castle is likely to occur until a solution for its repair is found.
It states: “Whilst the transformational nature of the scheme is recognised it is considered that underwriting the budget gap for an indeterminate time would place undue pressure on existing budgets which are already stretched.”
Instead the council is proposing to explore new opportunities at the site under the Waterfront Programme, reflective of the current economic climate”.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2026 after the second part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for future rebuilds. You can read more and how you can possibly help here.
John Megoran
