A painting of the proposed Castle Centre on Stockton High Street. Opened 1973. Photo print undated.A perspective view along the High Street showing the covered pedestrian shopping mall of the £4.5 million Stockton-on-Tees central redevelopment by Laing Development in conjunction with Teesside County Borough Council. The comprehensive scheme will incorporate shops, stores, markets, an hotel, car park and other commercial facilities. The architects are J.G.L.Poulson and Partners. Print No. LH 1462-70 23rd, July 1970. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The original proposals and plans for the development of the High St back in the 1960s aimed at concentrating on the oportunities afforded by the riverside position, but was watered down, probably for commercial/cost reasons. In the 1960s people were quite relaxed, indeed enthusiastic, about sweeping away what was thought of as dreary Victoriana and sadly it happened in towns and cities all over England. Fortunately, in Stockton we did not lose everything, and still had a potentially magnificent High Street setting. It goes to show that, “You don’t know what you’ve got til its gone”.
It seems strange now to think that from demolition to re- opening, this part of the high street was closed for business for 4 years. Was there some sort of strike or dispute that prolonged the building work? When you consider how long the refurb of Thornaby town center has taken(nowhere near the size I know) or is it that builders work faster these days?
John Poulson had been removed from control of JGL Poulson and Partners by 1969 so he wasn’t involved in the Stockton project. Poulson was famously convicted and imprisoned for bribery and corruption though he continued to protest his innocence until his death.
John Poulson, the architect, from Birmingham I believe who also had an office in Middlesbrough.
It’s funny how these artist’s impressions always look better than what you actually end up with.
I made a comment on how great the east side of Stockton High Street looked before being demolished. When I look at this frontage, it simply cannot match the former buildings. The more I look at it, the more hideous it starts to look.