Stockton Waterfront Urban Park: Residents share hopes and fears as new regeneration project set to open this weekend

From the rubble of the Castlegate Shopping Centre and the Swallow Hotel has risen a hugely ambitious regeneration project, to open on June 20-21. It will boast visual centrepieces like the land bridge to the Tees opening up a whole new view, an amphitheatre, oval lawn and events spaces.

Features range from the inspirational – nods to heritage and a poem engraved into the amphitheatre’s steps from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage – through to the enjoyable – timber towers, slides and play equipment aplenty for children – and the more practical – shelters, toilets, seats and the reopening of Riverside Road, now winding through a tunnel passing beneath the park.

Carer Akousa Williams, 43, on the High Street with her two-year-old daughter Mia, beams: “I think it’s a beautiful place. It’ll help us to come out and walk around.

“The kids will be happy coming in, and a lot of the load will be removed from parents from being in the house. The kids will channel their energy here instead of being indoors. It’s so beautiful.”

Julie Cotson, 61, in town with her daughter Louise, 34, and two-year-old granddaughter Evie, said: “It’ll be good for the little ones, just somewhere to sit for people. It’s all open and nice.

“We live in Hartlepool but we always come here. We’ve always liked Stockton. There’s a lot of different characters you bump into.”

Support worker Trudy Best, 67, says: “It’s a case of wait and see. I think on the whole it’ll be good, but we could have done with a few shops as well.”

The anticipation is palpable. Retired civil servant Gerry Mackowski, 67, from Darlington, says: “It seems to have been going on forever. What they’ve done looks nice, I just wish it would open so we could have a good look at it.”

Chioma Nze, 35, from Middlesbrough, with her children Ifeany, two, and Zara, four, says: “I think it’s going to be fun for the children and for adults who want to relax.”

Melanie Greenwood, co-owner of Drake the Bookshop on Silver Street, says: “We’re really excited for it to open. You can see Roseberry Topping from the High Street so personally I think it’s fabulous, and reconnecting with the river I think is just brilliant.

“It’s a great thing for Stockton. I think it’s a really brave and forward-thinking of the council to recognise that retail and the high street has changed and it’s more about bringing families in for an experience, a full day out with activities. We’re hoping it’ll bring families into the town to stay longer and maybe explore a bit of the town, bring footfall back in.”

Co-owner Richard Drake says the shop hopes to get involved in activities in the park: “If the town gets behind it I can see nothing but success. The town needs to embrace it.”

Back on the High Street, project manager Stephen Teasdale, 47, says: “I think it’ll bring people in, it’s just getting the right shops open to attract the right people.” His mum, retired hairdresser Yvonne Teasdale, 74, says: “It looks as though it’s going to be really nice.”

Clearly there are high hopes for the park, but fears and reservations too. Some express concern about crime, anti-social behaviour and nuisance, particularly related to drinking and drug use, and worries that the joy of the new attraction could be spoiled, perhaps reflecting views and perceptions which have persisted despite, for the most part, falling crime and anti-social behaviour figures in recent years, and police and council operations including a wide-ranging public space protection order.

Retired pharmacy technician Stephen Hirst, 73, says: “I’m worried about some of the people who will start using it, they’ll need more police work. You’ve got to improve things.”

Jessica Smith, 27, with her two-year-old daughter Nevaeh, hopes patrols and enforcement will discourage bad behaviour: “I think the sort of people that cause mischief are going to be hanging around and it’s going to prevent people from having a good time.

“I think it will bring a lot of attraction to the area, people will want to see it. But I just don’t know how long it’ll last.

“It’ll be something everyone’s looking forward to. We’ll give it a go, she loves the swings and slides so we’ll see.

“If you look around the [High Street] fountain, it’s nice people are sitting enjoying it and it’s really sweet. But it just takes one group of wrong ‘uns and it puts people off.”

Lisa Mason, 51, owner of the Masons grocery stall which has been in her family 100 years, with her son Joe, 27, and Thomas-Joe, six, has similar doubts and frustrations as she speaks of frightened customers and more help needed for market traders, and voices frustrations about thieves: “We get tortured. They come and pinch your stuff. I got bitten by one.

“Fill the shops, give people the incentive to come. This market was known as the Queen of the North, what is it today?

“What is a park going to bring? It looks nice on the pictures, but what’s it going to be like?

“We’ll see. I hope they’ll prove me wrong, I hope it’s going to be a family-orientated place.”

Over at Silver Street’s Who-Ray! gift shop, however, proprietor Martin Shipley-Burr says things are changing as he has noticed curious out-of-town customers and praise for the town: “People are already visiting from out of the area and comment on how nice Stockton High Street is, how calm it is and how pretty it is compared to some other places.”

Brian Shipley-Burr concurs: “We’re getting a lot of positive comments from people who don’t live in the town. Maybe people who live here don’t see it afresh.”

He sees opportunities for local businesses and outdoor cinema in the urban park, and talks of visits from overseas ambassadors and how other towns would be watching Stockton’s progress: “It’ll be lovely for existing businesses to be able to branch out and take advantage of the new crowds.

“Internet shopping and Covid have decimated a lot of the high streets around the country, and something has to change. At least Stockton Council are trying something.

“Using the space for the urban park is creating a new use for the high street, a leisure use and a space for events. I think it can only do good, but it just needs to be maintained.”

Laura Allen, manager of Remember Me Tea Rooms which faces the park on Finkle Street, says: “You’ve got to be positive.

“We’re really excited about it. It’s going to hopefully bring more people into the town and we’re at the front of it so we’re hoping it’s good for us, especially when there’s events. We’re the first people you see.

“They’ve really done a good job with it and it looks exactly like the pictures. We used to look out on the back of Castlegate, so to be able to look out on trees and flowers it’s lovely, and the light is unbelievable.”

The tea room endured a tough period where they were tucked away next to the building site: “There was a point where you couldn’t even see down the street, but once it all opens it’ll be nice and bright.

“It has been hard. But you’ve got to see the light at the end of the tunnel instead of focusing on the bad.”

Councillor Paul Rowling, Stockton Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration and resources, says primary schools and businesses were coming for sneak previews: “It looks fantastic. It’s all gearing up to next week with the Armed Forces event.

“We had some visitors from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to look at our regeneration plans and we’re interested to see their take. It’ll be great to see it full and families enjoying themselves, to have a place to be proud of.

“It’s such a difference, the fact it opens up the river, it’s amazing. There’s so many different spaces.

“It’ll be a catalyst, we’ve got a number of small businesses that are opening, it’ll create business opportunities. I’m anticipating what it’ll be like having SIRF (Stockton International Riverside Festival).”

He said he was aware of people’s concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime: “There’s comprehensive work being done with the council and partners and police and plans put in place to make sure it’s a safe area.”

Cllr Norma Stephenson, the council’s cabinet member for access, communities and community safety, said: “We are extremely excited to be getting ready to welcome visitors to the new Waterfront Urban Park – and making sure everyone can enjoy themselves safely is a top priority. Our civic enforcement team have been on site visits to familiarise themselves with the area ahead of the Armed Forces Day celebrations on June 20 and 21, which promises to be a fabulous couple of days and fun activities for the whole family.

“I would like to reassure anyone with concerns that the enforcement team will be carrying out regular patrols across the urban park alongside our partners at Cleveland Police. Thanks to the public space protection order (PSPO) in place, our officers will have greater powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and can issue £100 fixed penalty notices to anyone in breach of the order.

“Plus, there are three CCTV cameras and a range of new additional motion-detecting cameras for the park, with the council’s control room operatives monitoring the area 24/7 to help keep the public safe. If you do have any concerns regarding anti-social behaviour, you can report it by calling 01642 528439 or emailing [email protected].”