Stockton's £23m Waterfront urban park opens after Esh Construction transformation
Stockton's town centre has a new centrepiece. The £23m urban park delivered by Esh Construction, in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, has transformed a prominent stretch of the town centre into a multi-functional public space, reconnecting the High Street with the riverside.
The scheme is one of the most visible regeneration projects in the Tees Valley this year, turning the former Castlegate shopping centre site into open green space at the heart of the town.
Play area next
Work is continuing on site. Installation of a large play area began in mid-August, with timber towers designed by Timberplay in collaboration with Ryder Architecture now rising above the park.
Why it matters for trades
Town centre schemes of this size draw on a wide spread of trades: hard and soft landscaping, drainage, electrical and lighting installation, masonry and street furniture. The visible success of the Stockton scheme also strengthens the case for further public realm investment elsewhere in the Tees Valley, with Middlesbrough and Hartlepool both pursuing their own regeneration programmes.
For homeowners, councils investing in town centres tend to lift surrounding property values, which historically feeds through to spending on gardens, driveways and home improvements in nearby suburbs.