Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre is a collaboration between National Trust and Seascapes adjacent to Souter Lighthouse at Whitburn, South Tyneside. The centre acts as a gateway to the coastline and serves as a community hub for nature conservation, coastal landscape and wildlife activities, helping to raise awareness of North East coastal conservation issues. The building sits ‘lightly on the earth’, it is energy-efficient and blends sensitively with the surroundings. With a low carbon footprint and cladding using 100% recycled plastic tiles from construction waste, it illustrates how materials can be reused and not end up polluting our coasts and seas.

Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre is an excellent example of a sustainable building which is sensitive to its surrounding area, and is a very elegant architectural design which is brilliantly suited to its location and purpose. It provides a well utilized community hub for nature conservation, coastal landscape and wildlife activities. It offers enhanced access to sea and coastline for the nearby deprived areas. Planners played a pivotal role in balancing complex planning considerations in a highly sensitive area and ensuring appropriate use of the building which provides access and learning while safeguarding natural and cultural significance of the coastal area.