A SENIOR councillor sees “no loss” in the Castlegate centre being razed in Stockton to make way for a country park in the town. 

The 1970s shopping centre features a 150ft food hall and pyramid designs on its ceiling as part of its modernist design. 

But councillor Jim Beall told cabinet colleagues he didn’t believe the centre held much heritage ahead of plans to demolish the site in 2022. 

The member for culture, leisure and health said: “I see no loss in the Castlegate Centre – unless someone thinks retaining concrete reminders of times which saw developments bordering on planning blight has merit.”

Designed by corrupt architect John Poulson, the Castlegate opened its doors in 1972 and divided opinion then as it does now. 

Stockton Council aims to knock the shopping centre down and move tenants into Wellington Square on the other side of the High Street.

Officials say the demolition is on track for 2022 ahead of a riverside park vision coming to the five acre stretch – featuring trees, performance areas and a land-bridge to the River Tees.

Cllr Beall believed it would boost mental health as well as help the town’s event programme in future years. 

The £37m project will also feature a new council headquarters at the southern end of the High Street and office space, if it comes to fruition. 

Labour leaders backed the vision last week alongside masterplans in other town centres across the borough – including efforts to buy up Billingham Town Centre and backing for a heritage centre at Yarm Town Hall. 

A 2019 consultation on Stockton High Street plans showed about 80 per cent of the 962 respondents wanted to see better links to the river from the centre of town. 

Meanwhile, eight out of ten comments which mentioned the Castlegate centre were in favour of its removal.

The council has spent a lot of money on the centre of the town in recent years. 

It bought Wellington Square for £7m earlier in 2019 and spent £13.8m on getting control of the Castlegate and the former Swallow hotel later that same year. 

A Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) grant as well as £16.5m from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, has been earmarked to go towards the ambitious riverside park scheme. 

But it will be up to all councillors to agree on £5m of extra borrowing for the project on Wednesday evening as part of wider budget plans.

Competition is also heating up across Teesside to lure in Government civil service jobs. 

Stockton chiefs are also keen for the riverside to become a hub for the 22,000 jobs forecast to move out of London until 2030. 

A motion from Cllr Kevin Faulks, from the Ingleby Barwick Independent Society (IBIS), will be debated by all councillors on Wednesday night calling on the Government to use Stockton as a base.  

The motion adds: “We think that Stockton would be the ideal town to accommodate this move.

“Over the coming years our High Street will see major changes and we are well ahead of the game (over) other Northern towns and cities.”

The meeting starts at 6pm.