A HOTEL and shopping centre which have dominated Stockton town centre since the 1970s will begin to be demolished next year after the planning green light for a multi-million pound council-backed revamp.

Councillors have approved an application to flatten the long-empty Swallow Hotel on Stockton High Street and the neighbouring Castlegate Shopping Centre to make way for the creation of a new urban park featuring a land bridge to the River Tees and associated waterfront development.

Other aspects of a council ‘masterplan’ for the town centre, rubber stamped last month by cabinet members, include a £15m replacement for the ‘Splash’ leisure complex, and a new library, customer service centre and registry office at the southern end of the High Street.

The Northern Echo:

Hundreds of council staff could also be moved from the council’s current headquarters into refurbished offices in Dunedin House, Thornaby, once the home of the Teesside Development Corporation.

The site being opened up to the river is about three times the size of Trafalgar Square and Stockton Council hopes the plans will provide opportunities to boost the health and wellbeing of the town’s residents.

Talks have also taken place with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust about opening a ‘health on the high street’ facility combining clinical and administrative functions.

The demolition of the shopping centre, which contains a number of empty units, will see the majority of the town’s retail offering focused on the nearby Wellington Square and the north section of the High Street.

The Northern Echo:

The bold plans are intended to turn around the fortunes of the town centre which has lost a number of major retailers in recent years, including the likes of Debenhams and Marks & Spencer.

They have attracted national attention with councils in other parts of the country grappling with similar issues watching on with interest.

The seven-storey high Swallow Hotel was opened in 1972 with the Castlegate shopping centre opening a year later.

The hotel, which was originally owned by Whitbread, has been empty since 2009 and was snapped up by the council, along with the shopping centre in order that development could take place.

About £16.5m was previously awarded to the council from the Government’s Future High Streets fund in order to pay for fresh town centre investment.

Labour-run Stockton Council’s plans have not been without controversy with the leader of the Conservative group on the authority, Councillor Tony Riordan accusing council chiefs of having a bad track record of “spending and wasting money”.

He previously said: “Having ambition as a council should never be underestimated, but when the provision of basic services such as repairing pot-hole laden roads, clearing of weed filled gutters and litter takes second place, those responsible need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror.”

But Councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for regeneration and housing, said it was acting to “future proof” town centres in the borough with planned developments also taking place elsewhere in the likes of Billingham and Thornaby.

He said the planning approval was “fantastic news”.

Councillor Cooke said: “It’s a big step in our journey towards transforming all of our six town centres to ensure they are fit for the future.

“The town is moving on from the memories of the Castlegate and the Swallow Hotel. 

“About 80% of people who responded to a public consultation in 2019 were in support of these buildings being removed.

“We all remember the Swallow Hotel fondly, but it’s important to understand that town centres and high streets have completely changed and there’s no point in clinging onto a sentimental version of the past.

“We are acting now to future-proof our town centres and ensure they are fit for future generations. 

“The acquisitions we have made are an opportunity to lead meaningful change and provide facilities and spaces that bring communities together.”

Work is set to begin on the demolition of the hotel and shopping centre next year and it is anticipated that the redevelopment will be completed by 2025.

Matt Vickers, MP for Stockton South, who is chairman of an all-party parliamentary group on retail matters, said: “The demolition of the Swallow Hotel and Castlegate Centre fires the starting pistol on an exciting new future for Stockton town centre.

“There will be many with concerns about Stockton Council’s ability to manage this project properly given the issues surrounding the Globe theatre project, which is nearly a decade behind schedule and cost about seven times as much as originally planned. 

“However I’m sure Conservative councillors and the independents on the council will actively scrutinise this project and ensure that the money is spent wisely.”

Matt Vickers, MP for Stockton South and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Retail, said: “This is exactly what the Conservative Government created the Future High Streets Fund for: to make real change and recreate town centres so that they are fit for the future. I’m delighted that Boris’ Government has given £16.5m to Stockton to ‘level up’ and stop our town centre falling further behind. The demolition of the Castlegate Centre fires the starting pistol on an exciting new future for Stockton town centre.

“There will be many with concerns about Stockton Council’s ability to use this money or manage this project properly given the issues surrounding the Globe project which is nearly a decade behind schedule and cost about 7 times as much as originally planned. I’m sure Conservative Councillors and the genuine ‘independents’ on the Council will actively scrutinise this project and ensure that the money is spent wisely.

“Some months ago, having come across the idea through the retail APPG I met with senior executives from North Tees NHS Trust to put forward the idea of introducing diagnostic services to empty space on Stockton High Street in order to provide accessible services and drive footfall to the high street. It’s fantastic to see that this can now become a reality as a result of these developments.”

 

 

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