Businesses and landlords which allow historic properties in Stoke-on-Trent to deteriorate face repair notices, criminal prosecution and bills as the council intensifies its heritage enforcement programme.
It comes after the authority stepped in to secure and protect one of the city’s most important historic buildings after its owner failed to take action, AND a successful court case against the owners of 179 High Street, Tunstall, a 19th-century, three-storey property in the Tower Square Conservation Area.
Work will begin at Falcon Works on Sturgess Street, Stoke, following concerns about the site’s condition, continuing deterioration and risks caused by unauthorised access.
The council will undertake the work itself and recover its costs from the owner, reinforcing the potential financial and legal consequences for businesses which fail to maintain historic properties.
The intervention follows a long-running attempt to secure improvements. The owner failed to comply with a Section 215 notice requiring repairs and maintenance intended to prevent further decline.
Vacant for more than 35 years, the complex contains two Grade II-listed bottle ovens and other surviving pottery buildings.
The site has deteriorated significantly and sustained further damage in a 2022 fire. The council now intends to stabilise and secure it, enabling a full condition assessment and plans for its longer-term future.
Any structures posing an immediate danger could be carefully dismantled to protect public safety and prevent their collapse from damaging other historic buildings. The council said the work would aim to retain as much historic fabric as possible.
The action is part of a Heritage Enforcement Programme which has handled more than 100 cases since activity was intensified around a year ago.
It follows the prosecution of Nour House Ltd and its directors over 179 High Street, Tunstall. They were ordered to pay a combined £8,386.98 after admitting failure to comply with a Section 215 notice.
The city’s heritage emergency prospectus separately identifies 16 sites as officially at risk. Stoke-on-Trent has more than 275 listed buildings and 22 conservation areas.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for growth, regeneration and transport, said: “This work is about securing the future of Falcon Works, protecting as much of the historic site as possible and showing that where owners fail to act, we will use the powers available to us to intervene and hold them to account.”
“If you own a historic building in Stoke-on-Trent and you walk away from it, we will come after you.”
Owners of historic buildings in the city have been advised to monitor building condition, obtain advice and engage with the council early when repair concerns arise.
