Staiths South Bank

When we used the national press to criticise the Wimpeyfication and Barrattification of Britain, George Wimpey reacted in a way that we didn’t expect – they asked us to come in for a chat.
Taylor Wimpey
Type: Housing, Urban Design & Visioning
Date: 2001-2010

The final result of that first meeting is Staiths South Bank, a 760-home development on the banks of River Tyne, Gateshead, built by George Wimpey, with HemingwayDesign leading the design – working alongside IDPartnership.

Staiths South Bank marries contemporary design with a nostalgic nod to community values and community facilities. It is a development where everyone can recognise their own home because no two look the same, where children can play safely and free from cars, and where private gardens open out into shared spaces where residents can get to know each other.

The Staiths is now used as an exemplar of urban housing. And all this from a bit of complaining – not bad, eh?

Read The Staiths retrospective here, and see what the BBC had to say about it here.


I lived on The Staiths from 2011 to 2013 when working in the North East. Moving from Liverpool I had arranged to spend two days in the area and had a list of properties booked in, this was the first. I’ll never forget the day I drove onto the estate for the property viewing; I was immediately struck by the layout and style, beautiful established landscaped areas mixed with communal play and social areas that gave the feel of community and quality of lifestyle.The different many house and apartment designs also gave a sense of style, care and uniqueness which was a lovely tonic from the uniform ‘pack em in’ style of some housing developments. The creative flair really appealed to me. I didn’t even bother to look at the other properties! I loved every minute of living there and felt like I had the best of both worlds. Minutes from the city but the feeling of living in a green oasis when enjoying being home. The nicest place I’ve ever lived.”

Former Staiths resident.

AWARDS

  • Silver Award at the ODPM Building For Life Awards 2005
  • Best Housing Led Regeneration Award at Building Magazine’s Regeneration Awards 2005
  • Finalists at Local Authority Building Control National Built In Quality Awards in 2005
  • Finalists at The Journal’s Landmark Awards in 2005
  • Overall Award at The Journal/Evening Gazette 21st Century Living Awards 2006
  • First Place in the Residential Awards category at RICS North East Renaissance Awards 2006
  • Best Large Housebuilder at the ODPM Housing Design Awards 2006
  • Best Partnership Project at The Journal’s/Evening Gazette’s 21st Century Living Awards 2006
  • Overall Winner at The Journal’s/Evening Gazette’s 21st Century Living Awards 2006
  • Donald Insall Associates Conservation Plan deems the Staiths structure as ‘exceptionally worthy of conservation as a historic structure’ in 2006
  • Regeneration Award at Northumbria in Bloom 2008
  • Landscape of the Year of the Mail on Sunday’s British Homes Awards 2009