Builder finishes work on 'milestone' town park

A building contractor has finished a multi-million-pound regeneration scheme.

Esh Construction has completed work on the £23 million Stockton Waterfront urban park.

Officials say the venture will “support events, leisure and community use and increase footfall into the town”.

The scheme includes an amphitheatre spanning a 2000sq metre area that features more than 400 granite steps and verses by poet laureate Simon Armitage that celebrate the town’s connection to the River Tees.

Replacing a section of Stockton’s high street once home to Castlegate Shopping Centre and the Swallow Hotel, the development also features play areas and gardens.

Bowburn-headquartered Esh Construction worked with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Newcastle-based Ryder Architecture on the project, which was backed by £20 million from Tees Valley Combined Authority and £16.5 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Andy Radcliffe, Esh Construction chief executive, said: “This is a significant milestone for us and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

“The project showcases the strength of our civil engineering capability and our ability to deliver major infrastructure.

“The result is a high-quality, accessible space that will bring lasting social and economic value to the town.”

Councillor Paul Rowling, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council deputy leader and cabinet member for resources and regeneration, said: “Stockton Waterfront urban park is going to have a transformational effect on the borough, the wider Tees Valley and beyond.

“This is a huge investment and demonstrates the scale of our ambition to continue to make a difference to make the borough a place to live, work and do business.”

Steve Blacklock, principal and landscape director at Ryder Architecture, which has further offices in Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester, added: “This represents a bold reinvention of the traditional high street.

“It has been a privilege to be custodians of the design, working with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Esh Construction to transform the town centre and reconnect it with the River Tees.”

The site will officially open to the public on Saturday, June 20.

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