RENEW North Staffordshire
Civic Centre
Glebe Street
Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire
ST4 1RJ
t: 01782 232024
f: 01782 236662

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Stoke Town

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Programme and Project Details

A series of projects to kick-start the regeneration process is underway, including work on the flagship, £18 million West End Village extra care housing development on London Road. Work is progressing well on the eco-excellent homes, and are set for completion in the new year, 2011. A show property is now available for viewing by appointment. This will help improve London Road as a key gateway into the town centre.

Short-term interventions

Animating the streets 

Empty shops and other empty spaces in Stoke Town are visible evidence of the challenge faced by Stoke Town.

Stoke Town Regeneration is embarking upon a range of empty shop projects. We see them as an opportunity to showcase new uses and re-animate the town in a creative way with a number of benefits: 

• Improving the physical environment
• Encouraging existing businesses to continue to invest in their businesses
• Encourage potential businesses to take a stake in the town
• Improve footfall and spend in the town by improving the customer experience
• Highlight potential future uses of empty buildings, signposting the vision for the future of the town. 

Pretty vacant   

Real life Stoke Town heroes are to be celebrated in the former Woolworths store.

Stoke-Town Regeneration is working with two city artists, Chris Guest and Darren Washington, will capture local legends in Stoke Town.

Pretty Vacant is funded by the British Arts Council and Department for Communities and Local Government. The former Woolworths shop will be re-opened with a combination of art, photography and digital media to showcase the characters and heritage of Stoke Town.

“The project will bring the former Woolworths store back to life, celebrate Stoke Town and the community who live their as well as encouraging footfall in to the town centre”, said Regeneration Manager, Kevin Bell.

Research into the project is already underway, so keep your eyes peeled for when work finally commences on the site.

Shop

Staffordshire University graduate Gemma Thomas has received funding from Arts Council England to deliver her SHOP programme in an empty Church street shop. On hearing the news, she said “the project within Stoke Town offers a unique opportunity to bring contemporary art forms to new and existing audiences, developing local artists and make a real difference to the town”. The SHOP programme includes performances, projections, exhibitions, artist’s residencies and events.

Indoor market art competition 

The ArtBay, Stoke Town Regeneration and sponsors Staffordshire Housing Association are running a competition, with work by winning artists displayed on the side on the Indoor Market, facing the Market Square. Artwork will be chosen by the local community - you can vote in Stoke Local Centre, outside the Regeneration office.

Poster trail 

Staffordshire University lecturer and guest editor for longhouse.uk.com, Anna Francis, has organised an arts competition, winning entries will be displayed on vacant premises in Glebe Street. Please visit the Longhouse website to see all entries to the poster trail.

Barewall

Burslem based arts company BareWall will bring the prominent corner premises on Church Street/Glebe Street back to life through an art exhibition celebrating local football success stories, and  the World Cup. Artists Paine Proffitt and Nicolas Hudson Paine, who have held successful international exhibitions, are on board.

Christmas lights switch on

Following the huge success of last years light switch on, we are pleased to announce that the date for 2010 is Wednesday 1^st December. Festivities and events will be announced closer to the date, so keep your diary free!

Moving towards a Stoke town partnership 

• Work with trader to develop a loyalty card
• The creation of the Stoke Traders Group
• Commitment to the Crime Initiative and Night Time Initiative
• Marketing work to help market Stoke Town positively
• Developing and diversifying the town market, to offer specialist produce
• Goods including local food and work by local designers

Working with other partners, agencies and departments on smaller-scale, early impact projects as:-

• Low cost, high profile public realm works, for example refurbishing Kingsway seating
• Improvement works to bridge underpass through to the University Quarter and the railway station
• ‘Welcome to Stoke Town’ signage
• Boundary wall improvements on Campbell Road 

Design and masterplanning projects

Spode 

Stoke on-Trent City Council, part of the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership (NSRP) which is leading the £1.5 billion regeneration programme across North Staffordshire, has agreed the purchase of the Spode Works site- a huge decision in the future of the town.

Through inspirational design, the site can be connected to the Kingsway car Park site and the Town Centre, leading to the long term regeneration of the town through a creative mixed use development that makes the best possible use of the remarkable quality of the site and buildings.

So the masterplan will start to show how this historic town centre pottery site can be redeveloped to play a significant role in the regeneration of Stoke Town.

Glebe Street bridge 

Proposals to improve the rail bridge remain in development. Outline designs are in preparation to improve this vital ‘stepping stone’ into the town from the Station and the University Quarter. With a re-opened Glebe pub and an improved bridge Stoke Town will present a great welcome to visitors.

Conservation area

The Stoke Town Conservation Area has now been declared, protecting the towns precious heritage (including Spode) and opening doors to heritage funding to bring important empty properties back to life.

Stoke Local Centre

The £3 million Local Service Centre and Library - the ‘greenest’ building in the city – was opened in January 2009. It is a ‘one-stop-shop’ facility incorporating a library, training and conference rooms and a customer contact facility. Since it opened, library membership has increased by 1,200. The centre houses the Stoke Town Regeneration Team and a JET (Jobs Enterprise Training) Centre operates from the building on market day each week.

Stoke Local Centre is an ‘iconic’ building, with a low-carbon ‘footprint’ – it uses solar water heating panels and photo-voltaic roof cells to generate electricity. With rainwater collection and storage for toilet flushing and a double glazed frontage, it’s interior light is distributed by ‘sun-tubes’ and heating is provided by a heat pump using the earth’s natural heat.

West End Village

The first major regeneration project in Stoke Town, the £18million West End Village housing project, is starting to take shape in London Road. Due for completion in early 2011, the scheme is part funded by RENEW and will include 100 apartments that will be for sale or rent to people over the age of 55. The development will also include a variety of communal facilities, such as a gym, restaurant and bar, hairdressing salon and general store – with flexible care and support for residents available on site. The development is a partnership project being funded by Staffordshire Housing Association, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and RENEW.

The Glebe Pub.

We are delighted the Glebe Pub is now undergoing refurbishment. Joules Brewery plan to open in September 2010, so keep your eyes peeled for any further developments.

Summer Street Community Garden

The garden has been completed through a partnership including Staffordshire Housing Association and the city council’s Environmental Management Team. It offers a great local play and leisure facility, as well as adding to the general improvement of the London Road corridor.

 

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