‘THERE’S A TREMENDOUS BUZZ ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DELIVERING IN THE CITY’
Plans for Etruscan Square almost ready
PLANS for a multi-million pound city centre development are due to be submitted in the next fortnight, a major property conference has been told.
Stoke-on-trent City Council leader Abi Brown, above right, addressed developers, investors and government officials at UKREIIF, the UK’S real estate investment and infrastructure forum in Leeds, on the Etruscan Square scheme in Hanley.
Etruscan Square, which has been allocated £20 million from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, is set to include a 3,600-capacity arena, 82,000sq ft of commercial space, 285 resident units across two phases, a 701-space parking hub, and a 138-room hotel.
Mrs Brown told delegates yesterday how the scheme is ‘progressing at pace’, with two planning applications set to be lodged in the next two weeks.
The first planning application will be for the car park and associated infrastructure, with construction expected to start in December. A second, hybrid planning application will be submitted for the rest of the development, with work on the first residential block expected to start in early 2023.
Mrs Brown said: “In Stoke-ontrent we mean business. We have a plan and we are delivering. We secured £56 million in Levelling Up funding – the largest allocation for any single city – because we know what our city needs to succeed and we are progressing at pace to get there. Etruscan Square is a case in point.
“This is a major development opportunity that will transform a significant part of our city centre with outstanding leisure, retail, residential and commercial opportunities.
“In just seven months we have already achieved what could take at least two years’ worth of consultation, market testing and planning. We’re not just achieving this at pace at Etruscan Square, but at other key Levelling Up sites in the city.
“National leaders are taking note. It is no coincidence that the government’s cabinet met in our city just last week and ministers continue to visit our levelling up sites. There is a tremendous buzz about what we’re delivering in the city.”
The two-day UKREIIF event will have more than 4,000 attendees, including over 500 investors, more than 300 developments and around 200 local authorities.
Mrs Brown will be leading a small group of officers at the event, with the cost being covered by businesses.