Developer set to be appointed for historic pottery

Plans to regenerate a historic pottery site are set to move forward after councillors were asked to approve the appointment of a developer.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council hopes signing up Capital & Centric will "unlock new opportunities" at the former Spode pottery in the city.

The council's cabinet is to consider allocating £6.5m to the firm from its Levelling Up fund, as part of a wider scheme for the site.

The developer has already taken on the Goods Yard site, also in Stoke, and is also set to redevelop the Midway car park in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

A new deal at the Spode works would allow Capital & Centric to bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to bring the China Hall, a vast space in the old factory, back into operational use, the council said.

Proposals would be subject to planning permission, with work expected to include demolition of some buildings with no heritage value and the development of new homes.

The suggested partnership does not include the whole site, which will continue to host a range of tenants.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for regeneration, said the authority would be proud to work with Capital & Centric again.

"Together we'll make sure Spode continues to be a success story, not just for the creative industry in the city, but for heritage regeneration too," he said.

Residents have previously expressed frustration over the slow progress of plans for the Spode site.

It was acquired by the council in 2010, two years after the factory closed and went into administration.

In 2022, the authority secured £10m of Levelling Up cash to invest in the site and bring it back into use.

Since August 2024, it has been working to remove asbestos in some heritage buildings and refurbishing two units to provide more space for the Spode Museum.

A decision on the partnership is expected be made at a cabinet meeting on 27 May.

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