The latest images of the transformational Stockton Waterfront urban park have been revealed, marking one year since work began on the project.

Led by Esh Construction and commissioned by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, the development is a cornerstone of the Council’s 25-year vision to reshape the town. Over the past year, the project has created 683 weeks of full-time employment for Stockton residents and delivered 88 hours of community volunteering through the Esh site team.

Once complete, the urban park will feature unique play areas, versatile event spaces, and a land bridge structure connecting the High Street directly to the River Tees. The bridge will span Riverside Road, offering seamless, uninterrupted access to the riverside for residents and visitors alike.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "It's been so exciting to see the physical transformation of the urban park's construction site over the last year.

"This is an important project which will breathe new life into Stockton High Street, but the scale of change here will also be felt across the entire Borough.

"Stockton Waterfront is set to be the catalyst for further regeneration work across Central Stockton and North Thornaby. We are looking to build on this success to create vibrant places fit for future generations, mixed-use neighbourhoods and a stronger town centre with increased footfall through a Blueprint for the next 25 years."

With ground broken on the major civil engineering project in December 2023, Esh has clocked up more than 65,500 (65,526) hours on site. To lower the existing A1305 dual carriageway beneath the park, 16,000m3 of earth has been excavated and retaining structures rising up to 7.8 metres high have been constructed.

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A significant piling operation – involving the installation of 320 rigid inclusion piles – was undertaken to support over 300 metres of reinforced earth retaining walls faced with blockwork and reinforced concrete walls. All of which will border the Riverside road to allow the realigned carriageway to pass under the land bridge, creating a seamless link to the riverside.

Running through the middle of the urban park, the land bridge will open up the High Street and connect it to the River Tees, supporting business growth and encouraging more shops, cafes and restaurants to open for residents and visitors to avail of.

Work on the Riverside area, in the lower section of the urban park, started in October, paving the way for a new footway along the river towards the amphitheatre, with garden spaces being created on the eastern side of the carriageway.

Divisional Director at Esh Construction, Steven Garrigan, said: "After over a year of collaboration with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, we are proud to be delivering a development that will serve as an iconic and transformative addition to Stockton Town Centre.

"This project reflects our commitment as a local contractor to create a lasting value for the communities we serve. Through the last 12 months our project team has made great strides in developing this site, while our Social Value team has been working in the local community through a range of volunteering and donation initiatives, while directly engaging students in multiple employability and careers-led workshops.

"Stockton is undergoing an extraordinary transformation, and we are proud to be contributing to this journey alongside Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council."

By re-using 14,608 tonnes of clay on site, Esh has made a saving of approximately 104 tCO2e, in comparison to using imported fill, while more than 7,000 tonnes of waste have been diverted from landfill.

As work continues into 2025, the upper park – namely the Finkle Square and the Oval Lawn areas – will start to take shape.

Finkle Square will serve as an entry point to the completed urban park and could play host to events and markets as well as seating and heritage opportunities. A large-scale play area will be the centre point for the park along with a series of play and water features.

The Oval Lawn will provide a large accessible, flexible space capable of hosting events, with an impressive amphitheatre offering a large, curved seating terraced area which leads down to a central stage area on the riverside. An accessible ramp route is also integrated between terraces, along with planting and water features.

Procured via North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), Esh is working in partnership with Ryder Architecture and Billinghurst George & Partners to deliver the scheme.