City Council Buys Pottery Site As Part Of Plans To Transform Town
31 Jul 2010
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has purchased the historic Spode pottery site as part of plans to transform Stoke Town.
The former pottery site, which has remained empty since the company went into administration in 2008 - although the historic Spode brand is once again being produced in the town by Portmeirion Group - will now be brought back in to use as regeneration plans for Stoke Town get under way.
Councillor Mohammed Pervez, leader of the city council, said:
“The former pottery site is at the heart of Stoke Town and houses a wealth of historic buildings on the 10 acre site. The aim is to bring the site back in to use as quickly as possible.”
The city council is currently under going a tender process to find a design team for the Stoke Town masterplan. The plan, which will help to guide investment in the town over the next 5 to 15 years, will focus on ways to bring the former pottery site back in to use and connect it with the University Quarter, mainline railway station and existing town centre.
Councillor Mervin Smith, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for city development (regeneration), said:
Spode Works, in Elenora Street, Stoke, lays claim to the longest continuous period of pottery production. Spode has become an iconic brand across the world and continues to be made in Stoke Town by pottery giants Portmeirion Group who took over the brand in 2009. Built from 1759 the 10 acre site consists of stunning buildings of international heritage significance and offers a unique opportunity to develop a mixed-use scheme which will lead to the regeneration of the town.
Michael Haynes, Group Sales and Marketing Director, Portmeirion Group said:
“With regards to the actual Spode brand, we are delighted to report that once again Spode products are being made in Stoke-on-Trent in our own factory. Our belief in the importance of the Spode brand has been proved right with a very positive response from around the world. Spode and Stoke-on-Trent are inextricably linked and I am confident that our success with the brand will be repeated for the factory.”
Alan Shenton, who has worked as a security officer at the Spode site for 8 years said he was pleased the site would now be brought back to use.
He said:
Five teams have currently been shortlisted for the Stoke Town masterplan. A decision on the final selection is expected to be made later this month by a panel of experts lead by the NSRP and advised by our Commission for the Built Environment (CABE) advisor, John Pringle of Pringle Richards Sharratt Limited.
The masterplan will guide investment in to the town over the coming 5 to 15 years. It will also show how the historic town centre pottery site, Spode Works, can be redeveloped to play a significant role in the regeneration of Stoke Town.
The purchase of the former
The purchase of the former Spode works by the council is a positive step forward for Stoke, as are the plans to regenerate the town over the next few years, as ever though good intentions need to be backed by solidly practical groundwork if they are going to deliver the goods.
This means paying meaningful attention to matters such as involving local residents in every aspect of the project from forming the initial plans to cutting the tape when the scheme opens for business.
Retail will play a central role in the regeneration plans and care needs to be taken to avoid becoming overly reliant on major national chains, the demise of the Woolworths and Ethel Austin branches in the town, due more to the problems of the parent companies than any lack of business, highlight the risks of following that route. Instead there needs to be support for small local businesses to share the high street with nationally known companies.
Finally and perhaps most importantly the regeneration plan has to recognise that Stoke doesn’t end at Sainsbury’s car park, there is a wider catchment area to be considered, meaning that people living in Hartshill, Shelton and Trent Vale need to benefit from this plan for it to be properly judged a success.
Can we please go through this
Can we please go through this step by step.
1. Councillors want to safe guard the vision for Stoke Town.
2. Councillors spend £5million to safe guard the vision
3. What is the vision?
4. Councillors do not know so have asked 5 teams to come up with a Master Plan.
5. What does a Master Plan do? it enables planning officers and planning committee to restrict developers to THE vison of the masterplan.
6. If Councillors HAD a vision for Stoke or had accepted a masterplan from a design team (are any of the 5 from north staffs?) they COULD avoided spending £5million and the ongoing costs of securing it
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¨°o. Non-Party Candidates 2011 don't split your vote reserve a ward now
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