Our approach 

We worked closely with North Tyneside Council, local businesses and community stakeholders to shape a shared vision. The result was a masterplan adopted in 2021 that became the foundation for successful funding bids and long-term investment.

WSP led the design and delivery of over £45 million in key interventions, including:

• Regeneration of the historic Northumberland Square
• Public realm upgrades in the Howard Street Cultural Quarter and retail core
• Refurbishment and pedestrianisation of the Bedford Street main shopping area
• Refurbishment and improvement of the Metro Station forecourt area
• Design of a new flexible town centre square adjacent to the new transport hub delivered by Wilmot Dixon and Napper Architects

To bring this vision to life, WSP’s Landscape Architects led a multidisciplinary team of landscape architects, transport planners, ecologists, drainage and civil engineers, working as one.

Sustainability at the core

From the outset, a regenerative approach shaped every decision. The town centre had limited biodiversity and green infrastructure, so we embedded that functionality into every intervention:

• New sustainable urban drainage systems and rain gardens
• Over 50 new urban street trees
• More than 10,000 new plants introduced across the town centre, repurposing existing vacant units and creating the framework for economic growth.    

This is what bold, place-led regeneration looks like: designed with purpose, delivered with care.

North Shields is now a place that meets the needs of a community, where people feel proud to belong, greener, more connected, and ready for what’s next.