Staiths South Bank - Implementation and Outcome

Implementation and Outcome

Once planning consent was obtained, the remediation contract was placed with AIG and work began. The masterplan for the development was divided into phases with the initial construction intended to take place to either side of the new main access off Team Street towards the east end of the site. This access included provision for the dedicated route of the new high speed bus link between Gateshead town centre and the Metro Centre.

As AIG's works moved westwards across the site, their working area was redefined and fenced to allow construction to begin of the initial phase of housing.

The development had received much local publicity during the planning process due to the involvement of the Hemingways. This initial interest from potential buyers enabled an early marketing launch of the first phase of the project, i.e. selling off plan. While this early selling process was becoming the norm for large capital intensive projects which would be attractive to investors, such as city centre apartments, it was not common practice for the sale of family/'estate' housing. This was partly due to a reluctance by developers to commit to selling prices too early in the development programme, thereby losing out on any possible increases either due to inflation or by demonstrating the actual product using an onsite showhome.

The initial sales release was launched at the Marriott Hotel in Gateshead. Such was the interest that had built up, based mostly on press coverage of the Hemingways' involvement, that potential buyers queued for many hours before the evening launch and most of the first release was sold out in a few hours, Sales staff working into the early hours with buyers to complete reservation paperwork. In order to limit the influence of speculators, buyers were restricted to a maximum of two properties each. The success of this initial launch event prompted an early review of selling prices, which were increased for the second release.

The development has won a number of national and regional awards, which include:

RIBA Housing Design Award 2005 - Best large project
CABE Building for Life 2005 - Silver Award and Best Residential Project
Building Magazine - Best Housing-Led Regeneration Project
Northumbria in Bloom - Silver Gilt Award and Urban Regeneration Category Winner
RICS North East Renaissance Awards 2006 - Residential Category Winner

Staiths South Bank achieved the highest rating of any large scale scheme in a recent CABE audit.

Despite the acclaim that the development has received from the design community, the complex design and management of the public realm has caused difficulties for the leaseholders. Most obviously, maintenance of such an environment is an expensive operation placing severe pressure on service charges and this has created a tension between leaseholders and the Managing Agents. These remain relatively affordable properties whose buyers may not be willing or able to pay significant additional costs to maintain the estate as a whole.

These maintenance issues are combined with the difficulty of ensuring that vehicles are parked within areas designated for parking rather than obstructing the circulation space within the Homezone. As is often the case, car ownership exceeds that envisaged by the design team so there are more vehicles than allowed for. The usual design/regulatory approach is restrict parking provision to restrict car use, in practice residents tend not to accept this restriction and find space to park wherever they can, preferably as close to their front door as possible. A good example of design and regulation failing to recognise the realities of human behaviour.

The challenge for future Homezone projects is to:

1. Achieve a public realm which is usable for shared circulation and play while being affordable in relation to the ability to pay of the residents/leaseholders.

2. Achieve a workable balance between control of the vehicle to enhance the value of the public realm for non drivers and realistic parking provision.

In the meantime, the future for the undeveloped later phases of Staiths South Bank is dependent on a recovery in both the local and national housing market, along with a willingness by Taylor Wimpey to take the site forward either based on the original, or an alternative, concept.

This hiatus in further development has left residents at the eastern end of the site looking at the concrete frame of an incomplete apartment block.