First glimpse of UK’s massive £37m waterfront park with skateboard site and tightrope
A MASSIVE new £37m waterfront park with a skateboard site and tightrope has been unveiled just minutes from a town centre.
Tourists and residents will be able to walk across a 55-metre bridge from the High Street to the revamped riverside, which will also feature a huge amphitheatre for live events.
In Stockton, the local authority is overseeing one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in Europe as it buys up swathes of land in the struggling town centre.
The amphitheatre – with 402 granite steps – will gaze down on the River Tees, home to the Teesside Princess pleasure boat, the North-east town’s iconic tourist attraction, which hosts everything from Taylor Swift-themed boat parties to birthday celebrations, weddings and wakes.
The huge site – three times larger than London’s Trafalgar Square – will also include 10m watchtowers, an oval lawn and a land bridge.
“That’s going to mean people can mean people can walk from the High Street to the riverside, which is quite exciting,” councillor Paul Rowling, deputy council leader and cabinet member for resources and transport at Stockton Borough Council, told Teesside Live.
Activities for children will also include a toddler trail, swings, climbing nets, trampolines and “exhilarating” slides connecting the amphitheatre to the riverside.
On its website, Stockton Council says “significant work has also progressed” on changes to Riverside Road, which will pass under the land bridge, reduced to a single carriageway each way.
Stockton Council says it has worked with members of the Stockton Parent Carers Forum to ensure that the park features meet the needs of as many families as possible.
The final design has been shaped to incorporate their advice and feedback.
The site is set to open in spring 2026.
It includes tactile and sensory experiences, motion, sounds with musical instruments, social interaction and quiet spaces.
Councillor Richard Eglington, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Stockton Council, said: “We know how popular our play areas are with families and that’s why we’ve ensured Stockton Waterfront will be a unique space like no other in the region for residents and visitors to spend quality time outdoors.
“The park’s feature elements, two huge play towers, will take children to new heights and we are looking forward to welcoming families when it opens.
“The play areas will complement the numerous exciting additions in the urban park, which is set to transform the town centre.
“It’s part of our commitment to make the borough a great place to live, work and visit, providing an environment where all generations can thrive.”
The waterfront park is the latest regeneration project for Stockton – which straddles two English counties and six separate towns.
Work to refurbish the Globe Theatre in the town began nearly 15 years ago and was completed in 2021 at a cost of nearly £30m.
With a capacity of 3,000 it is the largest live entertainment venue between Newcastle and Leeds.
Acts to have played the venue recently include Paloma Faith, The Waterboys and Fontaines DC.