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A further phase of construction work will soon begin at Middlesbrough’s £200m RiversideOne development site following the town council’s granting of planning permission for a £3m project that will enhance the scheme’s public spaces and improve transport links to the town and beyond.

Developer BioRegional Quintain’s approved plans for RiversideOne’s South Park and Southern Gateway provide pedestrian and vehicular access into the development off Windward Way and have been designed to deliver attractive and innovative public spaces and car parking.

Pete Halsall, BioRegional Quintain’s managing director, said: “We are very pleased to have received planning permission from the council for what is a key element of RiversideOne. Construction of CIAC (Community in a Cube) is now well underway and this allows us to proceed with creating further important infrastructure that will link RiversideOne with the town centre.

“We are currently in the process of negotiating with a preferred contractor to carry out the work on the basis that construction of the South Park and Southern Gateway will start later this year.”

In line with BioRegional Quintain’s thoughtful approach to the design of public spaces at RiversideOne, the pedestrian entrance to the gateway will lead to a landscaped area featuring trees, planting beds and lighting columns. Many of the trees will be encircled by art features whilst a walk to the edge of the dock will provide stunning views of the Temenos sculpture.

The designs will include some steel screens featuring sepia images of former Middlesbrough dock workers at work, emphasising and acknowledging their legacy but also the passage of time in a novel and imaginative way.

There will also a 667 space car park which will be surfaced in two shades of green – parking aisles in light green and parking bays in dark green. Pedestrian zones will be furbished in a buff colour whilst parking bays and aisles will be defined by planters and planting beds. The car park will also be well lit on evenings and utilise the latest CCTV technology to make it as safe as possible for users.

With bays for a car club and 264 cycle parking spaces, the car park will have four access points linking RiversideOne directly to Windward Way. Exiting West from the car park will enable easy vehicular access to Bridge Street East and Dock Street for the town centre, railway station and Middlesbrough College. Turning East onto Windward Way will mean only a short journey to connect with the A66. There will also be cycle parking to make it easy for residents and visitors alike to add to the green transport strategy of the development.

Pete concluded: “Our plans for the South Park and Southern Gateway demonstrate how we understand the value of public space and the importance it plays in creating a positive, safe, enjoyable environment. Each element of RiversideOne’s design has been considered in line with the vision of making this a vibrant new district of the town in which to live, work and relax and we are looking forward to work starting on this latest part of it.”

RiversideOne will transform the derelict Middlehaven Dock area between Middlesbrough Football Club’s Riverside Stadium and the Transporter Bridge into a sustainable community featuring state-of-the-art residential, leisure, education and commercial facilities. It is currently the largest planned zero carbon development in the UK and once complete it will comprise of 750 homes in 15 buildings.