Esh Construction has successfully completed and handed over Stockton Waterfront urban park, marking the delivery of one of the North East’s most significant regeneration schemes.
Delivered in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and design partners Ryder Architecture, the £23 million transformation has reshaped the town centre, reconnecting Stockton High Street with the River Tees through an expansive, multi-functional urban park designed to support events, leisure and community use and increase footfall into the town.
Andy Radcliffe, Chief Executive Officer at Esh, said: “The completion of Stockton Waterfront urban park is a significant milestone for both Esh and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. From the construction of the land bridge to the creation of the wider public realm, this project showcases the strength of our civil engineering capability and our ability to deliver major infrastructure.
“I’m incredibly proud of the expertise and commitment shown by everyone involved, right through to the supply chain that has supported the project to completion. The result is a high-quality, accessible space that will bring lasting social and economic value to the town.”
The delivery of the urban park required a complex and technically demanding civil engineering programme. At the centre of the scheme is a 55-metre-wide land bridge spanning the A1305 Riverside Road, delivering uninterrupted pedestrian access between the High Street and the riverside.
A total of 47 prestressed concrete bridge beams, each measuring up to 21.5 metres in length, were installed to develop the land bridge, with 170m3 of concrete poured to form the bridge deck. Supporting this, adjacent to the newly realigned A1305 Riverside Road carriageway, a 200-metre reinforced earth retaining Tensar wall was constructed using more than 320 rigid inclusion piles.
Alongside the core infrastructure, the scheme has introduced an amphitheatre, flexible event spaces like the Oval Lawn, landscaped gardens and three distinct play areas designed to encourage inclusive use across all age groups.
The amphitheatre extends across a 2,000m2 area that connects the upper park to the lower park and features 402 granite steps. It also features a poem, crafted by The United Kingdom Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, which reflects on local heritage and the town’s connection to the River Tees.
Another standout feature is the interactive play environment, which comprises a large play park in the upper park, as well as smaller play features and slides across the lower park. More than 17,000 plants have been installed, with 224 species and 153 trees included across the park. The planting scheme was designed by the late RHS Ambassador Nigel Dunnett, a world-leading pioneer in modern landscape design and RHS Ambassador.
The landmark-project sits at the heart of the Council’s long-term vision to revitalise Stockton-on-Tees, forming part of a wider regeneration programme to create a vibrant destination for residents, businesses and visitors. It has been funded by the Council, with £16.5 million funded via the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and £20 million from Tees Valley Combined Authority.
Councillor Paul Rowling, Deputy Leader at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 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. It’s critical that we adapted to the challenges town centres are facing to drive economic growth, create opportunities for people and improve our communities.
“The Waterfront Park is set to be a catalyst for further investment and drive our ambitions for the future. This is only the beginning of that journey and we’re already looking at the next chapter by developing Tees Central, a new community at the heart of the Tees Valley.”
Steve Blacklock, Principal and Landscape Director at Ryder Architecture, said: "This is an incredibly exciting milestone for Stockton, representing a bold reinvention of the traditional high street.
“At Ryder Architecture it has been a privilege to be custodians of the design, working with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to transform the town centre and reconnect it with the River Tees. We are thrilled to see this vision realised, but a design of this scale requires phenomenal execution. Esh Construction’s outstanding civil engineering delivery has been essential.”
Final preparations and operational works are taking place on the site, ahead of it opening to the public on Saturday 20 June. As part of this, the Waterfront Park will play host to a packed day of community-led events as part of the Borough’s Armed Forces Day celebrations.
