This is a large site with diverse habitats and budgetary constraints mean that it is difficult to address problems as and when they arise, they must be absorbed into the programme of work and dealt with as & when time and money is available. Your patience is appreciated in any time lag that occurs between problems being pointed out to staff and them being acted upon, but rest assured that all feedback on the site is welcome and appropriate action will be taken in due course.

A common perennial complaint is the state of the surface of the walkway, way marked paths and vegetation encroaching across rights of way. You will understand that these routes are used variously by walkers, cyclists, wheel chair users and horse riders, all of which cause a great deal of erosion and disrupt the natural drainage. Although ideally we would like all paths to be resurfaced on a yearly basis this is not, for many reasons, practicable or possible. We endeavour to correct severe problems when they occur, but please bear in mind that this is a country park where pristine pathways, similar to those found in urban parks, are not desirable – sensible outdoor footwear is encouraged.

The park is largely woodland, however, as the Forestry Commission harvested many of these sections of wood as a crop they do not contain the indigenous species that we are trying to encourage. From time to time, built into the programme of work, there will be a thinning of trees in certain areas to encourage natural regeneration of native species and where necessary this will be supplemented by under planting. There will also be periodic removal of non-native species of tree in all of our woodland. Whilst this may initially appear to have a harsh impact upon the environment it is necessary to achieve the desired tree population and increase the biodiversity of the site. Any scarring of the landscape caused by this work soon grows over and visitors patience and understanding towards this essential ongoing work is appreciated.

Volunteers are always very welcome and any public assistance and interest in the management of the park is valued. The park has a friends group where visitors can air their opinions, organise their own events, obtain priority information and bookings on park events, influence management decisions and become actively involved in running of the site. For details on volunteering, the friends group or to leave feedback about the park please follow the appropriate links or contact the countryside rangers on (01740) 630011.

Vandalism, graffiti and dangerous driving are just a few of the problems endemic in society as a whole and the park is not exempt from these. Should you witness anti-social behaviour or a crime being committed on the park please report it to the Cleveland Police incident desk immediately so that prompt action can be taken, their number is (01642) 326326. Your cooperation is appreciated in making Stockton’s open spaces a safe place for everyone to enjoy.