An extension to attract big-name exhibitions to Preston Park Museum has been approved by councillors – but with warnings not to “deface” a jewel of the town.

Stockton Council’s planning committee considered the authority’s own plan for extensions to the museum and its southern car park, adding 98 spaces. This is meant to “enhance the existing offer and visitor experience” with a new space to display more of the museum’s collection and touring exhibitions, bringing jobs and learning opportunities.

The modern glazed two-level extension proposes space for open collection stores, as well as a new café, interactive galleries and toilets on the ground floor with three exhibitions spaces above. The car park extension would take the total spaces to 391.

The plans – funded with £20m for improvements to Yarm and Eaglescliffe from the government’s Levelling Up Fund – are part of a scheme for a “radical transformation” of the council-owned Preston Park Museum to turn it into a leading national attraction. But some councillors expressed misgivings, saying things like toilets and car parking needed to be sorted out first.

Darlington and Stockton Times: A visualisation of what Stockton Council\'s proposed extension to Preston Park Museum could look like. Picture: Ryder Architecture

Councillor Jim Taylor, who represents Eaglescliffe East, said the “overall scheme successfully encompasses the majority of local views” but people wanted more chance to understand it, not to be “handed a fait accompli”. “We need to get the toilets, the car parking, the café and children’s play area addressed as a priority,” he added, arguing these could be sidelined if not tackled early.

He said residents felt toilet facilities needed urgent work including baby changing facilities, changing rooms, shower and locker rooms, and a full car park extension with a proposed doubling of spaces: “The current parking is totally inadequate on regular occasions, and therefore the addition of 100 more ain’t going to cut the mustard.

“If there is a major event in the park and the parking is full, traffic migrates into my ward. The people adjacent to the park have a major problem on their hands.

“Preston Park Hall is one of the few remaining icons of Teesside history which is almost in its original form. The hall and the park we feel must be preserved in its present form as a monument to this area’s former glory.

“Any further attempts to deface this last piece of our history must be deterred,” he said, drawing parallels to King Charles’ “monstrous carbuncle” speech about an extension to London’s National Gallery in 1984. “There is undoubtedly need for a facility to house and display historical artefacts which have been collected. But I would suggest that at no expense to defacing the setting of our last architectural jewel in this area.”

Cllr Lynn Hall said: “It’s about the cart before the horse. It’s very important that all the residents have been consulted.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Stockton Councillors Jim Taylor and Lynn Hall. Picture: Stockton Council

“They clearly want toilets first, car parking second and they want a decent café. Clearly the small number of parking mentioned in this application wouldn’t go anywhere near to suffice.

“The government come up with this fantastic sum of money to provide this, and this is what’s needed first and foremost, and this plan doesn’t show that. Even on the grounds of car parking, we can’t go along with it.”

She said there were concerns about the new extension: “It might look wonderful but then again there are too many ifs and buts.

“Preston Park is very dear to the people of Stockton. We want it to be developed properly and in the correct timescale and in the correct way.

“This is a lot of money we’re spending here. We can’t get it wrong. It’s not a dress rehearsal. We need the best for Preston Park.”

The Conservative member added: “We as opposition on this council are not getting the answers. I am criticising the whole vision of the council and this is exactly where they should be coming to try and explain what they’re trying to achieve.”

Planning officers recommended the scheme for approval, saying there would be no significant harm to the character of the wider site and area or nature conservation. Planning services manager Simon Grundy said there would be “less than substantial harm” to the existing grade II listed hall, outweighed by public, social and economic benefits, and no impacts to warrant refusal.

Highways engineer Martin Parker said they had identified a need for 100 more spaces.

Councillors voted eight to six against Cllr Taylor’s proposal to defer the plans because of a lack of information and residents’ concerns. They voted in the same numbers to approve the plans and listed building consent.

Cllr Steven Nelson, cabinet member for health, leisure and culture, said: “The new extension will allow us to permanently display a larger proportion of our collection, illustrating more of our local history. The improvements will also present us with opportunities to host national exhibitions and do things which people in the region couldn’t otherwise experience.”

Further improvements including a new café with outdoor seating facilities and toilets, the repurposing of the aviary and showcasing the important story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway close to the original 1825 track bed, will be included in future planning applications. Work will start on site on the extension and car park in the new year and the new extension is expected to open in 2025.