Hearts and Hopes of Hirst
Ashington, UK - Residential
Building a sustainable future of the Hirst.
Located next to Ashington town centre, the 80ha Hirst estate was developed in the early 1900s to house miners and their families working at the nearby Woodhorn Colliery. Ryder was commissioned to prepare a long term regeneration masterplan and business case for the area. The ‘Heart and Hopes of Hirst’ study aims to build on the area’s established community strengths to address the challenges in the area and make it a better place to live, work, study and visit.
Community at its heart.
The estate comprises approximately 3,300 homes and is characterised by high density, long terraced residential streets and cross cutting avenues with little amenity space within them.
Upheld by an established community, there are numerous active community organisations and assets in the local area including Hirst Park and Hirst Welfare Centre.
Proposed improvements.
Recommendations include improving the quality, size and mix of homes with refurbished, remodelled, and new energy efficient housing connected to the planned district heat network. This is complemented by proposed improvements to streets, green spaces, existing community assets and the development of community led projects.
Receiving unanimous approval by Cabinet in May 2024, the document can be used by the Council to attract investment and secure funding for the future of the Hirst area and its improved connections with Ashington Town Centre.
Evolved through collaboration.
Community and stakeholder engagement was central in the preparation of the project, working alongside Northumberland County Council’s asset based community development approach.
Ryder collaborated with local representatives on a range of engagement activities including Hirst residents, local and county councillors, Northumbria Police, and representatives from local private and public sectors. We also led visioning sessions, design sprints, interviews, workshops, online surveys, drop in events and pop ups to ensure the recommendations were informed by local people’s views, needs and aspirations for the area.
Ryder led the multidisciplinary team which included Healthy Happy Places, Metro Dynamics, and Identity Consult.
Philip Gallagher
Housing Maintenance and Capital Delivery Manager, Northumberland County Council
