A NEW multi-million-pound waterfront park is set to open today – and it’s three times larger than London’s Trafalgar Square.
Visitors will be able to walk across a 55-metre bridge from the High Street to the revamped riverside.
Stockton-on-Tees‘ Waterfront Urban Park is set to be unveiled today (June 20), as part of the council’s vision to regenerate the struggling town centre.
The £23million project will bring a “dynamic space for events, leisure and community life” to the area, where residents will be able to enjoy three separate play areas, event spaces and even a skate spot.
The focal feature of the park is a 21,000sq ft amphitheatre designed for live events, which connects the upper and lower sections of the park via 402 granite steps.
Ten-metre play towers, an oval lawn and facilities that can accommodate pop-up food and drink vendors are also key landmarks in the area.
The history of the town centre has also been integrated into the space, with text, poetry and illustrations featuring Stockton’s heritage carved onto floor and wall surfaces.
Activities for children include a toddler trail, swings, climbing nets, trampolines and “exhilarating” slides connecting the amphitheatre to the riverside.
The waterfront space features sweeping views of the River Tees, and more than 17,000 plants have been installed from over 224 species.
The entire project, completed by contractors Esh Construction, cost more than £41million, which included the demolition Castlegate Shopping Centre and the Swallow Hotel.
Building began in December 2024, and now the opening will take place as part of Armed Forces Celebration Day.
Councillor Paul Rowling, the 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.
“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.”
The project has been named “one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in Europe” in a bid to help revitalise the deprived market town.