THE final stage of the £20m refurbishment of Stockton Town Centre is under way and is expected to be completed by the spring.

Soft landscaping is being laid around the water feature in what will be a square by the town hall on the High Street and outside Marks and Spencer a new granite plinth has been constructed.

The plinth has a poem inscribed on it which was written by internationally published local poet Mark Robinson and mentions the town’s industrial past.

The structure will eventually hold the 'Stockton Flyer,' a train automaton, which will emerge at different times of the day and it will also be used as a stage and for temporary sculptures in a similar way to the fourth plinth in London's Trafalgar Square.

Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, Councillor Mike Smith, said: “By creating more parking on the High Street it is now much easier for people to pop into the town to visit its many shops, independent businesses and cultural and leisure opportunities."

A spokeswoman for the council said that vacancy rates are the lowest they have been in three years. However some shopkeepers have complained that ongoing works have put off shoppers and trade is down by up to 40 per cent.

To keep up-to-date with the developments visit rediscoverstockton.co.uk