Category: NewsDesk

A facelift for Longton’s town centre

Longton’s Times Square is getting a facelift. Stoke-on-Trent City Council plans to spend almost £2 million to transform the town centre.

At a recent meeting, the city council’s cabinet members agreed to allocate £1.985 million towards the project, which will improve pedestrian links and reduce traffic congestion.

The work includes pedestrianising Times Square and changing the road system. New paving, railings and lighting will be installed in Baths Passage and Strand Passage as part of the improvements.

Wedgwood to cease production until January 2026.

Wedgwood is ‘pausing production’ at its North Staffordshire factory. Pottery will not be produced at Wedgwood’s Barlaston factory between September 29th 2025 and January 5th 2026.

Wedgwood Factory Tours have also been cancelled between these dates.

The decision has been made before Wedgwood releases its accounts for 2024, which in October.

Lichfield and Burntwood may have to finance Stoke-on-Trent

The government says any proposals to reform local government in Staffordshire must identify and address the financial challenges facing Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Lichfield and Burntwood could be left with “burden” of Stoke-on-Trent financial challenges under new unitary authority plans

Friday NewsDesk

We have spent most of the week reorganising our filing system and image archive. Several new posts have been put on this site. They include details of services provided by Staffordshire Library and a video about the Armstrong Whitley Bomber.

The Whitley Bomber was one of the many civil and military aircraft designed by John Lloyd.

The Whitley was a Second World War heavy bomber. Built in Coventry, the Whitley was designed by John Lloyd, who grew up in Etruria. Other aircraft designed by John included the experimental flying wing, which ushered in the jet age and helped to create the V Bomber force and Concorde

Sir Morien Morgan, the Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, said John was one of the 20th century’s leading aeronautical engineers.

John is regarded as one of the 20th century’s leading aircraft designers.

Stoke-on-Trent, the city where he received his education and served an apprenticeship, has refused to recognise his achievements.

We hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Take care. We will see you again on Monday.

Heritage Open Days 2025

As in previous years, several hundred industrial heritage sites will be opening their doors for free to the public, whilst dozens more events, from talks to walks, will look at the stories of industrial archaeology, history, and the people involved across England. With the ‘Railway 200’ anniversary celebrations for the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825 culminating at the end of September, it seems appropriate that there are over a hundred railway-related sites and events available this year.

Hundreds of Industrial Sites to Visit for Heritage Open Days 2025

British Newspaper Archive Available in Staffordshire Libraries

People with a Staffordshire Library Card can visit their local library to use its public access PCs to view the British Newspaper Archive. The archive holds over 50 million articles from regional and national newspapers. Using the archives will tell you about national and local newsworthy events as they happened.

Tunstall News: Stallholders needed for Spooky Market and Halloween Ball

Tunstall Town Centre Community Association needs stallholders for its Spooky Market and Danse Macabre Halloween Ball.

If you would like to have a stall there, please email TUNSTALLTCCA@GMAIL.COM

Tunstall News: Widespread Support for Town Centre Scheme

There is widespread public support in Tunstall for Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s proposed multi-million-pound scheme to change the character of the town centre.

A public consultation was held recently. Seventy-six per cent of the people who took part in it believe the changes proposed for High Street, Tower Square, Butterfield Place and The Boulevard will benefit the town and make it more attractive.

The proposed changes are designed to improve accessibility, attractiveness and sustainability, while celebrating Tunstall’s distinct heritage.

The two most popular proposals were those for Tower Square and Butterfield Place. Plans for Tower Square include planting new trees, laying new paving and providing new seating. The existing parking spaces will be removed, and new parking facilities will be created behind the clock tower. There will be room for an outdoor market in Butterfield Place and a green space where children can play.

Many people want to see the High Street improved.

Proposals for High Street include widening the pavements around the town hall and reducing traffic speed to 20mph to make the area safer and more attractive.

Councillor Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the proposals were part of a package of measures aimed at improving the town centre.

The improvements will cost £4.6 million. The council hopes to start work on the project early next year.    

£1.9 million facelift for Longton

Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s proposed £1.9 million investment plan will change the face of Longton.

If it goes ahead, the Longton Improvement Scheme will give the town better public transport and create welcoming open spaces. An improved bus service will reduce congestion in the town centre, making it easier and safer for people to shop there.

The city council’s cabinet is set to approve the scheme on 16 September.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said:

Longton has always been more than just a place on the map. It’s a proud town where people raise their families, open their shops, and greet their neighbours in the street.

For generations, people here in Longton have worked hard and looked out for one another. And they deserve a town centre that works just as hard for them.

That’s what this project is about.

We’re making it easier to walk between the bus and rail stations. We’re creating more welcoming public spaces where you can stop and talk to a friend, and we’re building stronger links between the high street and the retail parks. Because when it’s easier and more inviting for people to come into town, local businesses get a real boost.

This is all about giving people a reason to believe in their town again, to feel proud when they bring their family or friends to visit. And if we get this right, the impact will last for years. Because when we invest in our people and our proud spaces, we build something far bigger than bricks and mortar.

Free Access to Ancestry at Staffordshire Libraries

Family Historians who are members of Staffordshire Library can grow their family tree at their local library.

Ancestry, the leading genealogy resource on the internet, is ‘packed full of records’. It can help you trace by giving you hints and tips to guide your research.

For more information, contact your local library.