Hartlepool’s Landmark Highlight Wellbeing Hub Opens Following Major Community Investment

Hartlepool’s highly anticipated new Active Wellbeing Hub, Highlight, officially opens its doors today, marking the completion of a transformative multi-million-pound investment in the town’s health, fitness and wellbeing infrastructure.

The state-of-the-art facility, located on the former Jacksons Landing site overlooking Hartlepool Marina, has been delivered through a partnership between Hartlepool Borough Council, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Sport England. The project replaces the former Mill House Leisure Centre and is designed to encourage healthier lifestyles while improving access to community health services.

The opening concludes an ambitious two-and-a-half-year development programme that has created one of the North East’s most advanced leisure and wellbeing destinations. Highlight brings together extensive fitness, aquatics, family leisure and healthcare facilities under one roof, including a 100-station gym, multiple swimming pools, fitness studios, soft play areas, community spaces and dedicated NHS consultation suites operated in partnership with University Hospitals Tees.

As part of the project’s early development phase, Max Associates was appointed by Hartlepool Borough Council to deliver a Strategic Outcomes Planning Report and feasibility study identifying the strategic need for the new facilities and future revenue impact. This work supported the Council in receiving Sport England funding and helped establish the long-term vision for the facility, ensuring the development aligned with local health, wellbeing and physical activity priorities while maximising community impact and long-term sustainability.  Most recently Max Associates completed a Built Facility Strategy assessing the impact Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub will have on the demand for sports facilities now and in the future. 

Kirsty Winders, Director at Max Associates said: “We are delighted to see Highlight open its doors and begin delivering on the vision that underpinned this project from the outset. Our early work with Hartlepool Borough Council helped identify the strategic need for a modern, integrated wellbeing facility that could support healthier lifestyles, improve access to services and create lasting benefits for the community. Highlight represents a significant investment in the health and wellbeing of Hartlepool residents, and we are proud to have played a role in helping shape the business case and long-term strategy that made this landmark facility possible.”

Designed by GT3 Architects and constructed by Wates, the striking building has quickly become a new landmark on the Hartlepool waterfront. Its innovative partnership with University Hospitals Tees will enable residents to access a range of referral-based healthcare services within a leisure and wellbeing environment, supporting national ambitions to provide more care closer to home.

Councillor Graham Harrison, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, described Highlight as a major investment in the future health and wellbeing of local residents, while University Hospitals Tees Chief Executive Stacey Hunter highlighted the benefits of bringing healthcare and physical activity services together in a single community-focused setting.

With its blend of world-class facilities, healthcare provision and community spaces, Highlight is expected to become a focal point for residents of all ages, helping to support healthier, more active lifestyles for generations to come.

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