New employment hub and health services planned for Cleveland Centre

Big name tenant Boots has relocated from the Cleveland Centre to the nearby Hill Street Centre and it looks as though JD Sports could also be on its way, although this has not been confirmed. At the same time, council services are popping up in the Cleveland Centre, with the Live Well Centre operating there for over a year and an employment hub expected to open in the relatively near future.

The plans are not entirely nailed down and Mayor Cooke said: “We’re not there yet with it, and obviously there’s a lot of logistics to work out. There are obviously key anchor tenants that we want to maintain but it is a case that we are trying to put more services in there that are sort of health led.”

“What’s really important is that we get a good consolidation in one of the shopping centres, so that you get a good quality offer, in a consistent way. So Hill Street is thriving, and I think that’s a good thing because that shows that we are able to manipulate the market.”

He highlighted the work being done in another council-owned asset in the town centre, Captain Cook Square, which he says “continues to actually return a profit for the council at this point, above the rent.”

Back in the Cleveland Centre, the mayor spoke of a potential “phase two” for Live Well, which would see a relocation of some of the NHS services, giving an example of a “low level scan”, for which going to James Cook Hospital “might not necessarily be the best venue”. Mayor Cooke spoke of trying to “preserve” the hospital for major surgeries, trauma and major accidents.

He highlighted how the existing hotel is “pivotal” to the Cleveland Centre site, but said the council would hopefully be able to start articulating the full plan in the coming months. 

When it comes to concerns that have been raised previously about worsening existing problems in the town centre – such as crime – because of drug-related services at the Live Well Centre, Mayor Cooke hit back, saying: “If you looked in the front window, of the Live Well, one of the services that you would see is our age-friendly hub, where we have various groups that go and meet and do stuff like armchair exercises.

“Other than the occasional mobility scooter going slightly fast,” he didn’t think there was an issue and confirmed there isn’t a substance misuse service on site. There are sexual health services, which he described as “normal” and said that politicians had previously “misunderstood” what was on offer, as he listed the available services: stop smoking, physical activity, nutritional advice, sexual health, and health and wellbeing.