New plans lodged for Preston Park, Stockton café and toilets

Stockton Borough Council has confirmed a planning proposal for the new facilities at Preston Park in Stockton was lodged yesterday (April 3).

The plans would see a refurbishment of the café, and a new, covered outdoor seating area facing the children’s play area – while a new building connected to the café will house the new toilets.

These toilets will include accessible ‘Changing Places’ facilities.

The planning application, which is part of the wider improvements to the park, would see a single storey extension to the south of the existing café, and demolition of the existing, outdated toilet block.

Reuben Kench, Director of Community Services, Environment and Culture, at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: “The major exhibitions and events in the museum extension will bring thousands more visitors to Preston Park, from the local area and further afield.

“These improvements to the café and toilets are crucial to ensure those visitors have a positive experience of the whole attraction.

“It will be wonderful for families to be able to relax and enjoy refreshments inside the café, while also having a safe space to experience the outdoor facilities and watch their children play in the popular playpark.”

The council have said the new two-storey building, connected to the existing Victorian Street, will have a large flexible exhibition space and collections rooms.

They added this will allow for “significant touring exhibitions and objects” to the come to the Tees Valley for the first time.

Work has begun on the new building, with its steelwork frame set to be erected over the next few weeks.

Works to the southern car park will create around 100 additional spaces – with this beginning later in April.

The aviary structure will be repurposed, and the Stockton and Darlington Railway story will be reinterpreted as part of further improvement works.

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A SBC spokesperson said: “The transformation of Preston Park is being funded after the Council secured £20million for work in Yarm and Eaglescliffe, as part of the Stockton South Constituency, from the Levelling Up Fund.

“The investment at the popular visitor attraction will provide significant benefits to the region, boosting the tourism economy and improving access to culture and heritage for people across the Tees Valley.”

The improvements to Preston Park Museum & Grounds are set to be complete in 2025.