Priority three - A great place to live, work and visit

We will make Stockton-on-Tees a great place to live, work and visit - a Borough that residents can be proud of. It will be a vibrant and diverse place with an environment that is well looked after and outdoor spaces to enjoy.

We want Stockton-on-Tees to be a place of choice for younger generations to live, work, play and grow - providing an environment where they can thrive. Creating a great place to live will include an emphasis on children and young people growing up feeling safe, utilising green spaces and building their ambitions around exciting and fulfilled lives in our Borough.

Key Moves

Our Borough will be a place to be proud of, for communities and business

We will focus on Place Making and working with communities to improve the places and spaces that impact people's lives, including:

delivery of the Central Stockton and North Thornaby Blueprint to create inspiring and attractive public spaces and facilities, including the Stockton Waterfront Urban Park, renovated historic Town Hall, alongside a vibrant and distinct retail offer and fresh opportunities to live, work and enjoy right at the heart of our Borough
delivering the masterplan for Billingham to transform the town centre, providing a new residential community, alongside quality public realm that is connected to a revitalised retail area, and linking residents better with enhanced leisure and sports facilities including the new Billingham Sports Hub
delivering our vision for a Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone, which will become a nationally significant site, offering improved infrastructure for health services, medical and social care innovation, with integrated employment and housing offers
implementing the Thornaby Town Deal aspirations and rejuvenating Thornaby Town Centre, including: new leisure facilities, a redeveloped Golden Eagle site and revitalised housing that is accessible and affordable. We will also strengthen links to our other towns and promote active lifestyles through improved cycling and walking routes, alongside delivery of world class engineering and construction training facilities in partnership with NETA Training
maintaining and improving our beautiful local heritage and cultural assets by enhancing historic Yarm High Street's public spaces and enriching its cultural and leisure offer through major improvement and museum extension works at Preston Park

A vibrant and diverse place - the playground of the Tees Valley

We have a strong reputation for delivering distinctive, creative and varied events that contribute to our community and economic ambitions. The notion that Stockton-on-Tees is 'an events Borough' has been established over 30 years. It carries the passions and beliefs of our communities, connecting the six towns and connecting generations, cultures and backgrounds to celebrate together, promoting a sense of pride and togetherness. Our festivals and events improve well-being and can be a source of inspiration, a way to learn, grow and build confidence and make new friendships.

To further develop our reputation as a lively and dynamic Borough, that becomes the 'Playground of the Tees Valley' and where people's quality of life is enriched, we will:

continue to grow our reputation as a leading presenter of world class outdoor street arts, including international artists and premiere shows
curate a programme of nationally significant largescale events, including the activation and animation of the River Tees and Stockton Waterfront
empower and enable events across our Borough which unite and connect people and our communities, promoting acceptance and respect and building stronger communities through the delivery of local events and celebrations
grow and attract new visitors to the Borough generating direct economic impact in terms of visitor spend and trading, changing perceptions about our Borough and helping us create a compelling offer for inward investment
create exceptional events and exciting experiences, that are inclusive, relevant and diverse and which provide opportunities for participation and volunteering for residents, communities and groups
maximise use of our sport and leisure facilities, including those that offer something different and attract visitors from further afield, such as Tees Barrage International White Water Centre and Air Trail

A great place to live and call home

We will continue to work with our partners to inform delivery of the Tees Valley Strategic Transport Plan and ensure that the transport network supports inclusivity and creates ease of movement between town centres, places of work, leisure and interest. This will include enhancing the active travel offer, to promote more cycling and walking as a practical choice for everyday journeys, as well as improving bus priority and train station facilities.

We will support the development of aspirational and affordable homes that meet the needs of our residents, set within in attractive locations and surrounded by enviable local services.

As part of our approach to support vibrant and healthy communities, we will take advantage of opportunities to make best use of green space, improve energy efficiency and air quality. This will include working with developers and other partners to influence design and delivery, as well as raising awareness about the health impacts of poor air quality and promoting behaviours that can have a positive impact.

Reducing crime and perceptions of crime are crucial in creating great places to live. We will identify those areas with the highest instances of anti-social behaviour and work with perpetrators, as well as communities to support behaviour change and take appropriate action against all persistent offenders. We will also work with businesses to promote safe and welcoming environments that support their companies and their workers to thrive in the Borough.

An environment that is well looked after, with outdoor spaces to enjoy and connect local amenities

We will support an environment that communities want to look after and enjoy, including clean streets, well maintained buildings and green spaces. Our open spaces will be attractive and accessible, including public realm in our town centres, as well as our parks, cemeteries, nature reserves and other grounds. We will support approaches to enhance and maintain these areas for communities to enjoy and keep active. Our approach will also be environmentally sustainable, as we care for our wider environment and enhance biodiversity, as part of our approach to adapt to the impact of climate change.

Promoting active travel will be integral to our approach. We will reduce the barriers that stop people from choosing to travel actively to work and town centres; delivering improvements in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure that will support active travel.

We will progress a transformation review of Waste Services, to enable changes that are efficient and sustainable, reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill and supporting an increase in recycling. Our approach aligns with national policy and the Tees Valley Joint Waste Management Strategy, seeing us maximise environmental benefits and resources from waste.

We all have a part to play - how can you help create a great place to live, work and visit?

Our Borough has a long and proud history of community spirit, where residents care about the places and spaces they live and regularly make active contributions - for example by supporting community safety, caring for your area and much more.

Here are just some of the things you can do to support our Key Moves for this priority and help make our Vision a reality:

present your bin, recycling and green waste in the right way and in a timely fashion to help our Community Services teams keep our streets clean
encourage participation by spreading the word about events, activities and community groups to your friends, family and neighbours when chatting or on social media
embrace active travel options, especially for shorter journeys - these are better for the environment, whilst also helping to stay fit and healthy
take steps to insulate your home, or look out for information and support that can help with home energy efficiency
be proud of Stockton-on-Tees. Talk about and share the success stories of the Borough and its people to showcase Stockton-on-Tees as a great place to live, work and visit