QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. What land is available for development?
Q. Who is promoting City Waterside?
Q. Why is it important?
Q. What is so good about City Waterside?
Q. What are you doing to make the vision happen?
Q. How many homes will there be?
Q. When does work start?
ANSWERS
Q. What land is available for development?
A. Redrow and Bett Homes already have outline planning permission to build hundreds of new homes on land they own. Other sites will become available over the coming months and years. For example the housing clearance area off Lichfield Street will be available for redevelopment once demolition is complete. There are other factory sites and disused land that may also become available soon.
Q. Who is promoting City Waterside?
A. City Waterside is being promoted by a partnership of national regeneration agency English Partnerships, housing market renewal pathfinder RENEW North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, British Waterways, the Housing Corporation and economic development agency the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone.
Q. Why is it important?
A. City Waterside is part of the City Centre South area where RENEW North Staffordshire is working to regenerate older housing. Housing conditions in this area are often poor and many older terraced houses are empty. New housing in City Waterside will attract new residents and provide alternative homes for people whose houses may be cleared elsewhere. By creating an attractive, desirable neighbourhood we will bring people back to live close to the city centre of Stoke-on-Trent.
Q. What is so good about City Waterside?
A. It’s in a superb location on a south-facing hillside with dramatic views over the Trent Valley and green hills beyond. It overlooks the Caldon Canal and is just five minutes’ walk from Stoke-on-Trent City Centre, 10 minutes from Hanley Park and 20 minutes from Staffordshire University. There are many development opportunities on former factory land and former housing land, but it has also has a strong sense of identity. For instance there are many characterful old factories that could be converted into housing, there are the bottle ovens alongside the canal, the canal lift bridge and the cricket ground. And there are many community facilities such as a churches, pubs, shops, health centres and a planned new school.
Q. What are you doing to make the vision happen?
A. First we have commissioned a masterplan for the area. This shows City Waterside should be developed over the coming decade so it becomes a desirable, sustainable neighbourhood. This event today is to promote the vision for City Waterside to developers, partners and the community. We will continue to promote the opportunities to the house building industry. New sites will become available over the coming months and years for redevelopment.
Q. How many homes will there be?
A. The City Waterside partnership expects around 1,600 new homes to be built in the area over the coming 10 years. The total cost of the development is expected to be around £177m, of which £146m would be private investment and £31m from public sources.
Q. When does work start?
A. Site works have already been carried out by Redrow and Bett Homes. Redrow now has detailed planning permission for the first phase of its site and work will begin shortly.
