| 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. |
Tag: Stoke-on-Trent City Council
£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.
Claybody Theatre to Stay at Spode Works
Stoke-on-Trent’s Claybody Theatre is going to stay at The Dipping House on the historic Spode Works site in Stoke-upon-Trent’s town centre.
The theatre has taken a 15-year lease on The Dipping House, which has been its home since 2023. Deborah McAndrew, the theatre’s co-artistic director, said:
We absolutely delighted to have secured the future of the Dipping House.
The Dipping House has proven to be a great space for us and we have already welcomed thousands of visitors who have come to watch our performances and participate in workshops and other events.
In going forward we will continue to collaborate with the City Council to develop the venue for theatre, arts and community events right in the heart of this incredible and historic site at Spode Works.
Tunstall Memorial Gardens
An Open Letter From Lee Wanger (10 November 2024)
I want to draw your attention to the plight of Tunstall’s Memorial Gardens in The Boulevard.
If you haven’t visited the gardens recently, please go and see for yourself how they have been neglected.
While nearly every town has a war memorial, Tunstall’s Memorial Gardens are unique. They are a heritage asset we should be proud of. The gardens are the focal point of a Conservation Area and home to our cenotaph.
My attempts to get Stoke-on-Trent City Council to look after the gardens failed. I consulted heritage lawyers and asked them if there was anything else I could do. They told me my only choice was to shame the council into action. Will you add your voice to mine? Can we work together and ask the council to restore our Memorial Gardens before it is too late?
The pavilion shown in the image has been left to rot. Fires and graffiti have damaged the murals, bricks have been knocked out of the walls and the guttering is collapsing.
The ornate entrance gates and fencing in The Boulevard are rotting away. Finials are missing from the tops of pillars, and the fencing is rusting and disintegrating.
For a long time, I have been asking the council to restore the gardens to their former glory. My requests have been ignored. Now, I need your help. Please write to the City Council, your local Councillor, and your Member of Parliament. Tell them about the plight of the Memorial Gardens. These gardens are of great historical significance. Ask them to stop the neglect and save the gardens.
Many thanks for reading my letter. Best wishes, Lee Wanger
North Staffordshire Heritage 