Renowned architect George Clarke makes a 'FAB' announcement as brand new Town Houses at Smith's Dock are unveiled

Places for People and Urban Splash opened the doors to the first 24 Town Houses at the development, which are now on sale with prices from £285,000. The general public will get a first glance at a day of celebration from 11am on Saturday 6 May.

Another big announcement on the day came from renowned architect and Channel 4's property star George Clarke who gave details of his plans to create 10 “FAB Houses” on Smith’s Dock. The Sunderland-born architect, who grew up in Washington, announced his plans to move into the modular housing market with the creation of the new homes. He explained: “For 15 years now I’ve watched the modular market and waited to make my move.

“Smith’s Dock was the perfect opportunity for me – primarily because I get to be a part of this ambitious regeneration project, but also because I can bring my passion for raising the standard of UK homes through modular development.”

Places for People’s Mary Parsons added: “I’m delighted that the day has come and we can now launch for sale the first homes at Smith’s Dock. The Plateau is the first of many developments here as we strive to create a fantastic new waterfront community, breathing life into a cherished area and home to much of North Shields’ heritage.”

Added Guy Ackernley of Urban Splash: “The concept of modular is fast becoming the norm and is a great way of creating large, fantastically-designed, family homes. Both our Town Houses and George’s FAB House vision are great examples of modular in practice – plus the accelerated development process means people will imminently be living here which is great news for the local community who are so keen to see this area flourish into a new place to live, work and play.”

Now the team’s attentions turn to Saturday’s public event; a heritage pop-up exhibition will be open to celebrate the site’s rich heritage, and local traders will be on hand to serve refreshments to visitors; Tynemouth Coffee Co have created a special limited edition Smith’s Dock blend which will launch at the event. There will also be an outdoor space for visitors to pull up a deckchair and take in the stunning river views.

The Town Houses are just one element of Smith’s Dock; the historic former shipyard will ultimately feature a further 800 homes – 80 waterfront apartments known as Smokehouse have already been granted planning permission and are currently under construction to help bring forward workspaces, watersports, retail areas and public parks.

To register your interest ahead of the launch event, please contact Rose Miller at Sanderson Young on 0191 580 7999 or email rosemarymiller@smithsdock.co.uk. Prices will be announced in the run up to the event on the Smith’s Dock website; smithsdock.co.uk