Working together with the local council and the community, regeneration plans were developed for two ex-colliery villages, Easington and Dawdon, both located on the northumberland coast. The challenge was to address the issues of poor image, connections to the surrounding areas and the poor condition of the physical fabric of the place.

The condition of the housing stock was one of the main issues. Some of the old terraced housing was suffering from damp and lack of insulation. Combined with the current need for more spacious accommodation and a variety of house types as well as creating a new image for the villages, some of the old terraces were to be replaced with new housing. This also gave opportunities to redesign the layout to improve connections to the neighbouring communities and access to green spaces whilst preserving the strong, permeable street pattern and the historic character of the places.