The Littlehaven promenade and sea wall scheme has transformed a stretch of South Shields’ seafront in north east England from a neglected length of coastline into a desirable visitor destination. The scheme demonstrates how a conventional sea defence scheme can, with appropriate innovation in design and attention to detail during construction, be delivered to provide both a robust sea defence function and significant enhancement to a local community.The project involved the demolition of a failing seawall, on-site reuse of excavated material in raising levels and landscaping of backing land areas and construction of a 500m promenade and sea wall along a new, landward and more sustainable, curved alignment. High quality concrete finishes, bespoke public art and breath-taking streetscape were used to ensure this striking scheme captured the public imagination and revitalised the seafront.