AT LAST!
EXCLUSIVE
Fifteen years ago Royal Doulton’s headquarters in Burslem closed with the loss of 525 jobs. It was a hammer blow for the town and one from which it has never recovered. Now, finally, 200 homes are to be built on the site of Doulton’s Nile Street factory – the first of nine schemes which will see more than 1,000 new properties built in Burslem, breathing new life into the Mother Town of the Potteries
DEVELOPERS are set to unveil plans to build around 200 homes on the former Royal Doulton factory site.
St Modwen Homes say the scheme will help boost Burslem, amost 15 years after the pottery firm closed its Nile Street works.
Last year Stoke-on-trent City Council secured £10 million from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), to boost the viability of nine ‘marginal’ brownfield sites in the Mother Town.
Around £1.8m from this pot will go towards the Royal Doulton site, which has been earmarked for 197 homes.
St Modwen has yet to reveal further details, such as the type of homes being planned, or when they will be built, but members of the public will be able to learn more at a consultation event on January 22.
The developer says it will consider feedback from the event before submitting a planning application for the scheme.
Managing director Dave Smith said: “We are delighted to be working with Stoke-ontrent City Council to bring forward much-needed new homes on the site of the former Royal Doulton factory in Burslem.
“A public consultation event will be held on January 22, where further information will be made available and we would welcome feedback and comments from the community regarding this proposal.
“We will listen to comments, amend as appropriate and then bring forward a planning application. “As part of the scheme, we will look to reposition the war memorial that was previously sited on this land. “We believe that investment in this site will support Burslem by providing additional footfall in the town and much-needed homes for the area. We are committed to delivering an exceptional scheme on this significantly important site for the city.”
The Royal Doulton factory closed in 2005, with the loss of 525 jobs. The loss of such an important local employer was a major hammer blow for Burslem, from which it has yet to recover.
St Modwen originally secured planning permission for a £10m development on the site in 2008.
This scheme included 140 homes and an enterprise centre, which could have created 400 jobs.
But the plans were put on hold and eventually scrapped due to the recession.
June Cartwright, left, founder of community group Our Burslem,
is hopeful that this time it will be different.
She said: “Any type of homes on that site will be better than what we’ve got there at the moment. We just need them to develop it as soon as possible. Burslem will need more school places, as our schools are already full as it is. We also need more things for teenagers to do in the area.
“But I don’t see why these issues can’t be addressed. The two things can happen at the same time.”
Eight other sites in Burslem will benefit from the HIF cash, including the land behind the Asda
store off Scotia Road, the former Wades factory site and Bournes Bank. More than 1,000 homes could be built across the nine sites.
The HIF funding will pay for costly land remediation, which has been a barrier to development.
Randy Conteh, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “When we applied for a grant from the HIF, this is exactly what we wanted to see happening. Many of the nine sites identified in Burslem and Middleport have been derelict, vacant and undeveloped for more than 10 years due to significant ground contamination and stability issues.
“We’re now in a position to bring forward residential-led regeneration, and St Modwen Homes coming on board is really positive news. Bringing more people into Burslem will be a huge boost for the town and the city.” ■ The consultation event will take place at The George Hotel, on Swan Square, between 6pm and 8pm on January 22.