Demolition work has started at the historic Wade pottery site in Burslem after Stoke-on-Trent City Council ordered the owner to remove sections identified as a risk to public safety.
Westport Road is closed until tomorrow (20 October) while the work takes place at the former factory, which closed in 2010 and was sold for housing development.
The council told Daily Focus that the action does not include the listed factory frontage onto Westport Road. It also said the listed former Sunday School frontage forms part of a separate building and is unaffected by the action.
However, the authority said the extent of the work would depend partly on what contractors find on site. Sections posing a danger will be removed, dismantled or demolished as appropriate.
The council said its notice requires the removal of specific elements identified as unsafe, rather than complete demolition of the building. The precise method of carrying out the work is determined by the owner.
The council has served a Section 77 notice under the Building Act 1984 requiring the owner to address the dangerous sections. It says a long-term plan is still needed to secure the building’s future and prevent further deterioration.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, Cabinet Member for Growth, Regeneration and Transport, said: “The Wade building shows why we declared a heritage emergency. Nobody wants to see parts of a historic building lost but when buildings are allowed to deteriorate to this point, difficult decisions can become unavoidable and public safety must come first.
“We’ve been clear that a long-term plan is needed for the Wade building. The longer problems are left unresolved, the greater the risk to its future.”
Wade traces its origins to 1810. Its businesses produced industrial ceramics, decorative pottery and tiles before being united as Wade Potteries Limited in 1958. The company became known internationally for its collectible Whimsies figures.
In 2010, the historic manufacturer closed its Burslem factory and relocated production to a modern facility in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, where it focused on advanced automated production of ceramic whisky flagons and its famous Gluggle Jugs.
However, hit by soaring energy costs and the loss of a major customer, the company collapsed into administration in December 2022 before being rescued and revived the following year by local appliance and consumer goods distributor RKW and relaunched as Wade Pottery.
The council says it has taken more than 100 actions relating to historic buildings across Stoke-on-Trent over the past year as part of its response to the city’s declared heritage emergency.
It is also investing in council-owned properties, including Burslem Market Hall, the Wedgwood Institute and the School of Art.
Councillor Gordon-McCusker added: “Protecting our historic buildings will require owners of historic buildings to step up and play their part before more buildings reach the point of no return.”
