Knight Frank bolsters Stockton town redevelopment with £1.6 million work

A major town centre transformation programme has moved further forward following the completion of a £1.6 million project.

Knight Frank has helped move retailers in Stockton’s Castlegate Shopping Centre to the nearby Wellington Square development.

The changes form part of a huge regeneration of Stockton’s high street, which will see the 340,000sq ft Castlegate site – and nearby Swallow Hotel – demolished to make way for a waterfront urban park.

Knight Frank has converted a former 13,400sq ft H&M store and a 2217sq ft Goldsmiths shop into six, 500sq ft retail units and a 7000sq ft office.

Matt Boxall, Wellington Square manager, said: “The intention was always to relocate as many tenants as possible from Castlegate into Wellington Square, or if not possible, to other units in the town.

“This has been successful, as evidenced by 31 relocations.

“The retail landscape has not been easy these last few years, particularly since we lost Marks & Spencer, in 2018, and Debenhams, in 2020.

“The strategy to encourage our much-loved, long established – and new – smaller independent shops to thrive has created a really nice, varied retail mix, alongside our bigger brands, and it’s satisfying to see Wellington Square so vibrant and buzzing once again.”