Annual Parking Report 2021 to 2022

The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees is a Unitary Authority with a population of approximately 196,000. Within the Borough there are 6 town centres; Stockton, Billingham, Thornaby, Yarm, Norton and Ingleby Barwick.

Stockton town centre is located on the north bank of the River Tees. At the heart of the high street, known to be one of the widest in the UK, is the historic Town Hall, which dates from 1735. The high street also incorporates an outdoor market every Wednesday and Saturday that has been in existence since the 1300s. Stockton High Street is historically known for being the first area to operate a railway system and it is something which we take great pride in. We have a feature within the town centre which shows our passion for this known as the Stockton Flyer. View how the Stockton Flyer works.

The Stockton Flyer attracts visitors to the high street every day to watch its operation, a daily reminder of the railway heritage, with sound effects that can be heard throughout the town centre.

Stockton-on-Tees prides itself on its event culture and continues to deliver an action-packed calendar of events across the Borough throughout the year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic many events were unable to take place in 2020 to 2021, with a return to some events in 2021.

View our video which demonstrates the type of events we hold.

In February 2019, we saw the opening of the Hampton by Hilton Hotel, which overlooks the Northshore Riverside. Giving you views of the River Tees from your room and just a stone throw away from the high street.

In 2021 the Globe Theatre opened its doors following a multi-million pound restoration. It now hosts some of the biggest names in music, theatre and comedy, attracting visitors from across the North East. The building first opened in the 1930s, and a lot of the original structure has been retained during the restoration making it a very interesting building. Further development is planned for Stockton Town Centre including the demolition of the Castlegate Centre, connecting the high street to the riverfront.

Billingham Town Centre, located in the north of the Borough provides the town with national retail chains, including the oldest continuously trading Asda supermarket in the UK. It is home to one of the biggest leisure centres in the North East, The Forum, that provides facilities for swimming, ice skating, gymnasium, indoor activities as well as a popular theatre.

Thornaby Town Centre is dominated by the Pavilion Shopping Centre, providing an extensive range of national and local retailers, restaurants and leisure centres. Similar to The Forum in Billingham, the Pavilion offers similar activities, such as sports hall, gym and squash courts that can be used with an ACTIV8 membership. Thornaby has also received Towns Fund from the Government that will see some additional operations in the future.

Yarm Town Centre is located in the south of the Borough and is one of the more affluent areas of the Borough. The high street is bordered by the River Tees with many Georgian style buildings fronting onto the cobbled parking area providing a mix of shops and restaurants. Yarm is an attraction for people across the North East due to its vibrant and quirky coffee shops. Free parking is offered for the first hour in Yarm for shorter visits to the town and to help increase the availability of spaces for visitors.