Another round of consultation and masterplanning to work towards the long-awaited redevelopment of Stoke’s historic Spode site was unveiled last night.
City councillors voted through a new relationship with developers Capital&Centric, who are delivering the Goods Yard development next to Stoke Railway Station.
The company said it is already working on detailed plans and will consult with locals later this year.
It’s the latest chapter in the saga of the site, which was included in the city’s bid to invest the government’s Levelling Up funding. The pottery factory closed in 2008 and the city council has been working to regenerate the site since 2016.
Three years ago the council announced it was “working in partnership with developer Nimrod Holdings” and that “plans have been submitted for an exciting major development” on the site.
But a year later those plans were shelved, and last year the council’s city director Jon Rouse CBE took the unprecedented step of apologising publicly for the lack of progress on site, saying the authority had taken a “wrong turn” and announcing a £10m three phase forward plan, including transferring the site to a community interest company under “collective stewardship.”
It’s not known whether this will remain a part of schemes going forward.
In the meantime, Dog and Bone properties, who have developed numerous buildings on the site, including the Potbank Aparthotel, the popular Quarter restaurant and bar and studio office spaces bringing several creative businesses to Spode, last month announced new tenants for a £3m refurbishment and regeneration of a cluster of listed buildings at the heart of the site.
Owner Jeff Nash said: “We welcome the commitment being made to further development at Spode where we have already invested over £3.5m entirely privately.
“We are very confident in the potential at Spode where our development model has secured full occupancy by local businesses and which has been the catalyst for the emergence if the createch cluster on the site and creation of over 120 jobs.
“We hope that the C&C plans will complement our further investment plans which are aimed at providing affordable space for the expansion of the createch sector and expanding our existing successful operations at Potbank that we have developed and delivered successfully so far.
“Hopefully the two approaches will complement each other and produce a range of products that will meet the requirements of the full range of potential tenants and market segments.”
Alex Swann, founder of leading advertising agency Lesniak Swann based on the Spode site and in Manchester, said: “We are happy that there is now a firm plan being set for the site’s future, we’re looking forward to seeing details of the plans and hope it ensures Spode continues to offer the right support to the growing Createch cluster that’s generating £tens of millions in value for the city every year.
“We hope Capital and Centric are hands-on in engaging with current site residents to make sure the development is an economic success for growing local businesses.”
Capital&Centric promises plans to “see Spode Works reimagined as a buzzing neighbourhood of homes, creative workspaces and vibrant public spaces, building on the site’s emerging CreaTech (creative technology) community.”
Tom Wilmot, Joint Managing Director of Capital&Centric, said: “Spode Works is a testament to Stoke-on-Trent’s proud industrial past and a huge opportunity to shape its future. This will be a catalyst for attracting new people, new ideas and new investment into the area.”
For the city council, Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, regeneration and infrastructure, said: “The regeneration of the Spode site will provide the opportunity for businesses and organisations to operate from a unique location, in the heart of the city.
“It will create employment and economic benefits, which will help to ensure the long-term survival of this site and bring with it the potential of attracting further external funding that otherwise would not have been possible.
“Capital & Centric has a long track record of delivering regeneration projects and is already working closely with the council to deliver Goods Yard, next to the railway station.
“We are pleased that they are committed to working with us in the future to develop another important heritage site in the city.”
