Stockton council approves 25-year town ‘transformation’ plan
The local authority have recently bought a derelict Debenhams department store as part of plans to transform the Northern town.
Last year it was revealed that Stockton-on-Tees was named as one of the most dangerous places to live in England. However, Stockton Council have recently given the go-ahead to new plans that will transform the town centre – making it a more desirable place to move to.
The proposals include Stockton and span to North Thornaby and they include the redevelopment of the former Debenhams building, up to 2,000 new homes and a transport hub at Thornaby Station. The Splash leisure centre, which was built in 2001, is also set to undergo a refurbishment.
Overall, it is expected the plans will take around 25 years to complete. Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for housing and regeneration, has expressed his enthusiasm for the plans although he has claimed he probably won’t be in his role when they are finished.
‘This is a long-term vision and there’s a good chance I won’t be around to see it, but there’s some things that are soon within reach,’ Cooke said.
The plans don’t just stop at new homes and converting the old Debenhams building. Developers are looking to upgrade The Shambles and recasting Stockton Town Hall into a register office.
Allegedly, the Castlegate Quay could be developed into a cultural heritage quarter celebrating the famous first passenger railway, which might include a floating restaurant.
Cooke remarked: ‘What we see on those plans is this golden nugget, the river, the golden thread that runs right through it. We’re making the most of that and we’re now linking both sides of the river.’
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the plans also involve implementing improvements to the ‘much loved’ Thornaby Station with a transport gateway.
Cooke said: ‘Even now, you can get trains to almost anywhere in the country from Thornaby but in terms of its design and capacity and some of the restrictions around there, it does needs improving.’
Image: Stockton Council
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