Stockton Waterfront Urban Park

Stockton puts play at the heart of a bold regeneration programme

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Timberplay and so it is particularly fitting that the year also marks the opening of two new flagship play areas, set to become two of the best and most popular playgrounds in the UK. The regeneration of the Princess of Wales Memorial playground in Kensington Gardens you may have already heard lots about, but the second, the brand-new Stockton Waterfront urban park, is equally worth celebrating, particularly as it is part of an enormous regeneration programme for the whole town.

Placemaking at its boldest

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s bold regeneration programme, which the Stockton Waterfront urban park is at the heart of, seeks to make Stockton a more attractive place to live in and visit, creating a stronger economy and supporting the town centre and responding to the decline of traditional retail. This is Placemaking at its boldest, investing heavily in redesigning the urban environment with the aim of boosting quality of life, driving investment and generating jobs.

The development has seen the demolition of a large and outdated retail space and shopping centre and car park, opening up access to the River Tees and creating a brand new destination play area. Working with Ryder Architecture, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Esh Construction, Timberplay have spent several years developing the design for the park, creating designs for two bespoke towers – the largest at 12m tall - with sensory elements throughout. Inclusivity has guided the design, with wheelchair users able to fully navigate the lower levels of towers and interact with Sand and Water Play elements. The play elements are situated within a playful landscape, capitalising on the sprawling space, with elements selected to offer muti-level challenge and experiences in order to create an inclusive play experience for all.

Collaboration from inception

Set to be a major attraction when it welcomes its first visitors in June, the waterplay elements provide exceptional opportunities for children to play together, building collaborative connections, in much the same way as Timberplay have with their project partners.

Associate Director, Mark Grimshaw, who has managed the project for Timberplay, comments:-

“This project has been a long time in the planning, but it has been incredibly rewarding to work alongside passionate partners who recognise the power of play and have championed bold design choices from the outset. There have been many challenges for us to collectively overcome, but now, seeing the site take shape, it’s clear how worthwhile it has been. The people of Stockton and the surrounding areas will have one of the best play areas within the UK right on their doorstep – and we are very proud to have been a key part of the team in delivering it.”

Reconnecting the town

Central to the development of the Stockton Waterfront urban park has been the reconnecting of the town to the River Tees, improving links from the town to the river via a 55m land bridge and creating a pedestrian route along the riverside. A landscaped amphitheatre will serve as the perfect event space, and has been made more playable with the inclusion of a huge embankment slide and big swings which will create the feeling of soaring above the town.

Beyond the park’s opening in June, Stockton’s transformation will continue with further investment in housing and industry, developing the town as a hub for business and leisure through the Central Stockton and North Thornaby Blueprint. The urban park will act as a catalyst, drawing people in, supporting local businesses and fostering jobs and community life.