A GRAND vision to regenerate Hartlepool has already led to to £1.75m being invested in the town creating and safeguarding an estimated 300 jobs, latest figures issued by Hartlepool Borough Council reveal.

The Hartlepool Vision regeneration plan, which will eventually lead to between £10m to £20m investment, was launched earlier this year and aims to attract more people into the town.

The blueprint has won the Gold Award in the Public Sector Campaign category at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) North East Pride Awards. The award was given jointly to Hartlepool Borough Council and PR and marketing agency DTW.

The Hartlepool Vision includes eight key sites. They are the town centre, Jacksons Landing/Trincomalee Wharf and the marina, Church Street, Seaton Carew, the Headland, Wynyard, the Port and Queens Meadow. Hartlepool council bought retail units at Jackson's Landing for £1.5m using an interest-free Government loan.

Since it was launched in January it has been backed by the North-East Chamber of Commerce and key announcements have included:

•Major developers MSeven purchasing the Highlight Retail Park, on Marina Way. They have extension plans which will create jobs and have re-named it Vision Retail Park.

•The National Museum of the Royal Navy has established a foothold in Hartlepool with HMS Trincomalee now a subsidiary.

•Work has commenced on the first phase of a multi-million pound scheme to revitalise Seaton Carew

It’s estimated that the new jobs will generate £3m into the local economy through increased footfall and boosts to cafes and shops.

Next month Hartlepool Borough Council will consult on the draft regeneration masterplan which forms part of the vision. The masterplan will look in detail at what can be achieved on the waterfront and surrounding area, including Jacksons Landing and Trincomalee Wharf, and how investment and businesses can be attracted.

CIPR judges praised the campaign as “a fantastic example of a value for money, innovative public sector campaign - bringing the work of economic development and public relations together to achieve return on investment for the tax payer.”

Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, leadertof Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “Since we launched the Hartlepool Vision in January of this year, we’ve received fantastic support from residents, businesses and many influential regeneration players and I am very encouraged by the progress we have made so far.”