Hartlepool’s Royal Navy museum in Tees Valley is set to expand after the £3.4m purchase of a neighbouring retail park.
Vision Retail Park, a three-acre site next to the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Hartlepool, will be converted into new galleries, workshops and retail spaces.
“Our long-held ambitions to create a northern powerhouse for culture and conservation in Hartlepool can now start to take shape with this very welcome news,” said Dominic Tweddle, director general of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
“We have exciting partnership plans and working closely with Hartlepool Borough Council, we will create a vibrant, economically successful waterfront offer supporting the regeneration of the town and developing a must-see cultural hub at the heart of Hartlepool.”
The new galleries will permanently house the WW2 Rescue Motor Launch (RML) 497, as well as other large items in the museum’s collection.
The building will also feature a reception, ticketing area and retail space. The museum is in talks with other institutions regarding the development of partnership galleries.
“This purchase is fantastic news for the hugely popular museum, which brings the town’s naval heritage to life,” said Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.
£3.4m acquisition of nearby retail park
“It will help it to become bigger and better, attracting and entertaining more visitors than ever before, heavily supporting our ongoing work to transform the town.”
“This is such an exciting time for Hartlepool and the purchase of the Vision Retail Park will enable the National Museum to expand significantly,” added Councillor Shane Moore, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council.
“Our partnership with the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool is hugely important to us and I can’t wait to see these exciting developments take shape.”
The Royal Navy museum also houses Europe’s oldest warship, HMS Trincomalee.
