Darlington Central Park covers a 30-hectare site between Haughton Road, Yarm Road, Hundens Lane, and the railway line. The wider park delivers a mix of residential, commercial, and education development. Central Park forms part of the Tees Valley programme and sits within the Tees Valley Enterprise Zone as one of its twelve allocated sites.
The commercial element of the masterplan focuses on creating a high-quality environment that offers an attractive setting for business. Working alongside our partners Valley Environmental, we placed green infrastructure at the heart of the design approach. This strategy aims to attract high-value businesses and future development. The ethos replaces traditional grey infrastructure with green and blue infrastructure to create a landscape-led business environment.
The design replaces the linear patterns of the former railway tracks with trees, wetlands, and grasses. This approach creates a consistent landscape framework across the site, within which individual commercial buildings can express their own identity and branding. The concept draws a clear connection between the site’s railway heritage and the need for sustainable development that brings nature and dynamic processes into the heart of the scheme.
The site sits within a strategic employment land allocation in the Darlington Local Plan 2016–2036. The policy requires a high standard of design that meets the aspirations of the Central Park Enterprise Zone. It also calls for an appropriate landscape buffer to the East Coast Mainline and to nearby residential areas to the east and north.
The proposed landscape scheme delivers a new public realm, wildlife areas, and increased biodiversity. It references the historic railway setting and integrates sustainable drainage through SuDS and swales. The scheme also incorporates artworks by local artists.
