Terraces and flats on the old town peninsula
The Headland is a civil parish covering the oldest part of Hartlepool. Its landmarks include St Hilda's Church, the Town Moor, the remains of the medieval Town Wall and the Heugh Battery, one of three gun batteries built in 1860 to protect the port, which now houses a museum. Streets such as Nesham Road, Montague Street, Moor Parade and Marine Drive run between the harbour and the sea.
The 2021 Census shows how little room most Headland homes have for a car. The Headland & Harbour ward had 4,046 households: 39% terraced, 31% flats (purpose-built or converted), 23% semi-detached and only 7% detached. In the small census area around Moor Parade (LSOA Hartlepool 002E), half of all homes were terraced and 45% of households had no car or van. Across the ward, 40% of homes were owner-occupied, 34% socially rented and 25% privately rented.
What that means for a drive:
- Houses at the back of the pavement. Many terraces have no front garden at all, so a drive is not possible from the street.
- Small yards and forecourts on some streets, where a single compact space might fit if the depth allows.
- Back lanes behind some terraces, where a rear gate and hardstanding can be the only realistic parking.
- Rented and shared homes, where the landlord or freeholder must agree before any work.
Coastal ground and flooding
The British Geological Survey maps the centre of the Headland on glacial till, a stony clay, over Roker Formation dolostone, a Permian limestone. Clay drains slowly, so any new parking area needs a compacted stone sub-base on a membrane and a fall away from the house, with water going to a border, a soakaway or a permeable surface rather than the road.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows several Flood Zone 3 and Flood Zone 2 areas within 300 metres of the centre of the Headland, reflecting the low land by the harbour and the sea. Check your own address on the flood map before paving anything. Close to the shore, salt spray and wind-blown sand also wear surfaces faster, so choose UV-stable resin or a dense paver and keep the joints well filled.
The conservation area and the crossing permit
Conservation area. Much of the Headland is in the Headland conservation area, and around 37 listed buildings stand within a short walk of its centre, among them terraces on Regent Square, Regent Street and Albion Terrace, several houses on the Town Wall and the Grade II* Duke of Cleveland's House. Front walls, railings and gates are part of the character the council wants to keep, so speak to Hartlepool Borough Council's planning team before taking any of them out. Listed buildings need listed building consent for changes affecting them.
Planning elsewhere. For a house outside the conservation area, a permeable front drive, or one draining to a lawn or border, is permitted development. More than five square metres of impermeable surface draining to the road needs planning permission. Flats have no such rights.
The vehicle crossing. Hartlepool Borough Council's policy is that the resident gets quotes from an accredited contractor, and the contractor then applies for a vehicle crossing permit costing £145, paid in advance. The council assesses the site and normally issues the permit in about two working days. Its application form describes a standard crossing as 2.7 metres wide. The council also offers its own crossing construction service with a free quotation. Our dropped kerbs page has more on the process.
What a small Headland space costs
A single parking space in front of a terrace is often only 12 to 15m². At Checkatrade's April 2026 UK averages for 14m²:
- Gravel in a stabilising grid at about £60 per m²: roughly £840.
- Tarmac at about £90 per m²: roughly £1,260.
- Block paving at about £100 per m²: roughly £1,400.
- Resin bound at about £120 per m²: roughly £1,680.
Small jobs often cost more per square metre because the set-up, skip and machinery are the same. Removing or rebuilding a front wall, the £145 permit and the crossing works themselves come on top. In the conservation area, clay pavers or setts usually suit the street better than plain concrete blocks.
Nearby parts of Hartlepool
- Throston driveways: Inland to the west, with 1990s estates and more homes with drives.
- Clavering driveways: North-west, an owner-occupied estate where drives are normal.
- Seaton Carew driveways: South across the bay, Hartlepool's other seaside conservation area.
Useful pages for Headland homes: block paving, resin-bound, dropped kerbs.
Every area on our list: All areas.
Questions people ask in Headland
Can I park in front of my Headland terrace?
Only if there is enough depth to park without overhanging the pavement, usually around 5 metres from the house. Many Headland houses have no front garden at all. Where there is room, an accredited contractor must get Hartlepool Borough Council's £145 vehicle crossing permit before lowering the kerb.
Is my street in the Headland conservation area?
Much of the old town is, including streets around the Town Moor, Town Wall and Regent Square. The council can confirm an address. In the conservation area, ask its planning team before removing walls, railings or gates.
Does the sea affect the choice of surface?
Yes. Salt and wind-blown sand wear surfaces and fill joints. Dense pavers, well-compacted gravel in a grid or UV-stable resin cope best, and joints should be checked each year.
Is flooding a problem on the Headland?
Parts of the Headland are close to mapped Flood Zones 2 and 3 by the harbour and shore. Check your address on the Environment Agency's flood map, and make sure any new surface drains onto your own land.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, Headland & Harbour ward and LSOA Hartlepool 002E (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Headland, Hartlepool; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; Hartlepool Borough Council: vehicle crossings; Hartlepool Borough Council: vehicle crossing policy; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens; Checkatrade driveway cost guide (April 2026).