PROPOSALS to rename one of Hartlepool's events and provide a new venue to help it to thrive in the future look likely to be given the go-ahead this week.

Hartlepool Borough Council's community services and safety board will meet tomorrow to discuss proposals to halt the decline of the Hartlepool Show, by changing its name to the Hartlepool Horticultural Show and moving it to the Borough Hall, on the town's Headland.

Hartlepool Show was established in 1953, as a Coronation event, in Ward Jackson Park and grew into an event that needed to be moved to a bigger venue, at Grayfields recreation ground, in 1967.

The show was established as a competition and display of horticultural produce, including floral and small animal competitions.

The animal competitions have lapsed, leaving the produce, including flowers, as the main focus.

At its peak the show, which costs £33,000 to stage, held exhibitions marquees for rabbits, floral art, children's art, handicrafts and horticulture.

A report to the council says: "The show continues to be popular, but probably reached its peak in the mid-1990s, since when the number of individual attractions and sections has declined, due in part to lack of interest by volunteer section secretaries and partly due to successive budget cuts."

This year's show was held in mid-August and about 18,000 people attended. This was a relatively low turnout, and the poor weather was partly to blame.

The event also faces a number of problems, including the site becoming increasingly vandalised, leading to a poor general image, and the budget for entertainment is insufficient to generate exciting attractions for the main arena programme.

The site is also used as a sports facility and Hartlepool Sunday Football League often complains about the state of the pitch after the event.

The report says: "It is clear an alternative venue must be found. A suitable venue would be the Borough Hall.

"This would have the advantages of being secure and being indoor, so it is not subject to vagaries of the weather.

"It would also reduce costs for security and cut vandalism, and would leave Grayfields free and undamaged for the football season.