Award-winning landscaping brings Stockton Waterfront to life

Stockton Waterfront Urban Park has been recognised nationally, winning the Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) – Over £500k category at the 2026 National BALI Awards.

Delivered by Gavin Jones in partnership with Esh Construction and Ryder Architecture for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, the project has transformed a previously hard urban environment into a vibrant public park, combining extensive planting, mature trees, rain gardens and bespoke Corten steel planters.

The project presented a number of logistical and technical challenges, requiring careful planning and close collaboration to deliver a complex landscape scheme within a busy, live urban environment.

The Challenge

A phased programme and restricted working areas made logistics particularly challenging throughout the project.

The high street remained open 24 hours a day, with bus lanes and other live areas operating alongside the works. This meant deliveries and site activities had to be carefully coordinated to minimise disruption and ensure different trades could work safely within the available space.

The scale and specialist nature of the planting added further complexity. Mature trees were specially selected from Van den Berk Nurseries in Holland, while shrubs, herbaceous plants and bulbs were contract-grown specifically for the bespoke planting scheme.

With limited space available on site, materials also had to be carefully managed. Soils, gravel and other materials were brought in on a controlled call-off basis, while shrub deliveries were coordinated between Johnsons of Whixley and Gavin Jones’ yard and the site.

The Solution

Forward planning was central to the successful delivery of the scheme.

Daily planning meetings were held before works commenced, ensuring all trades were aware of what was being delivered, when it was arriving and what access would be required. This allowed the team to manage the restricted site effectively while keeping the wider programme moving.

Tree deliveries required particularly detailed coordination. The 124 mature trees were specially selected from Van den Berk Nurseries in Holland and transported to site via Hull Port. Eight deliveries were arranged, alongside a specialist low-loader delivery for the project’s feature tree.

Standing approximately 14 metres tall and measuring around 110cm in girth, the feature Liriodendron on the Oval Lawn required a 100-tonne crane for installation. Specialist underground guying equipment was then used to secure the tree in place.

The planting scheme also incorporated:

990m² GreenBlue Urban Hydroplanter system
1,200 tonnes of specialist Ashmax bioretention soil
300 linear metres of Corten steel planters
13 GreenBlue Urban RootSpace tree pits
124 mature trees
71,000 shrubs, herbaceous plants and bulbs

The shrubs were contract-grown by Johnsons of Whixley, with regular nursery visits involving Ryder Architecture’s Landscape Architect, Nicola Speight, to monitor the progress and growth of the bespoke planting scheme.

Sustainable Landscaping

Sustainability was an important part of the landscape design.

Gavin Jones installed a sustainable urban drainage system across the planting areas, incorporating rain gardens to help manage water runoff from the surrounding hard surfaces.

The planting scheme was designed to provide colour and visual interest throughout the year, while the Corten steel planters add structure and elevation to planting across the paved areas.

The combination of planting and SuDS infrastructure creates a landscape that is not only visually engaging, but also contributes to the wider functionality and resilience of the new public space.

Collaboration

Close collaboration between Gavin Jones, Esh Construction and Ryder Architecture was fundamental to the project’s delivery.

The teams worked closely from the outset, taking a collaborative approach to resolving challenges and coordinating the complex programme. Existing working relationships with Esh Project Manager Tom Wilkinson and Ryder Architecture’s Nicola Speight helped support effective communication throughout the project.

Collaboration also extended to the sourcing and preparation of the planting. Representatives from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Ryder Architecture and Esh Construction visited Van den Berk Nurseries in Holland to security-tag the trees selected for the scheme.

This level of coordination ensured that the planting arrived on site at the right time and was delivered in line with the requirements of the overall landscape design.

Results & Recognition

The finished Stockton Waterfront Urban Park has been recognised at a national level, winning the Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) – Over £500k category at the 2026 National BALI Awards.

The project also achieved consistently strong KPI results throughout delivery.

In January 2026, Gavin Jones achieved a 5/5 Excellent rating for Supervisor & Labour, with Programme, Quality, Health & Safety and Commercial all rated 4/5 Good.

By June 2026, the project had achieved 5/5 Excellent ratings for Supervisor & Labour, Programme, Quality and Health & Safety.

The completed park has also received significant positive attention across press, television and social media, highlighting the impact of the transformation and the quality of the finished landscape.

Tom Wilkinson, Project Manager at Esh Construction, said:

“Gavin Jones’ attention to detail and collaborative approach has elevated the overall finish of the urban park, helping to bring the infrastructure to life through high quality soft landscaping that will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.”