Stoke-on-Trent

Introduction

The city is situated halfway between Manchester and Birmingham at the northern edge of the West Midlands and is a Unitary Authority.

Home to 240,000 people and is affectionately known throughout the world as 'The Potteries', with world famous names like Wedgwood, Spode, Portmerion and Moorcroft, this great British city has earned a reputation for firing the imagination of its annual five million visitors. Stoke-on-Trent is also the home of two national football teams: Stoke City and Port Vale; and two universities: University of Staffordshire and Keele University.

Recent Visits

31 July 2007. Baroness Andrews, Communities and Local Government, visit to Stoke - Renew North Staffordshire and the Civic Trust.
Liam Byrne (Minister for the West Midlands) has requested a mini-summit for Stoke. This took place in November 2007.

Demographics for Stoke-on-Trent

Mid-2006 Population Estimates

Figures updated annually. Last update August 2007. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Health and well-being
• Two major PFI capital developments, worth a total £350m, are included in the "Fit for the Future" project, to modernise health services across North Staffordshire. The project was conditionally approved at the SHA Board meeting in August 2005 and the Authority is awaiting robust financial recovery plans from the North Staffordshire organisations involved.
• The £306m PFI redevelopment of City General Hospital is now underway and the phased opening of the new hospital building is expected to be complete in 2014.
• The £65m public capital funded new maternity and oncology building at City General Hospital is expected to be completed in 2009.
• The new £8m Shelton Primary Care Centre opened to patients in May 2008, housing three GP practices and a pharmacy. This development was funded through the North Staffordshire LIFTCo Public Private Partnership.

Crime

• Since April 2002 a total of 217 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts have been signed. From October 2005 a new system was adopted for Acceptable Behaviour Contracts with 23 level 1 contracts and 3 level 2 contracts.
• £433,000 was awarded in 2005/06 to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership from the Building Safer Communities Fund to tackle local crime and drug issues and anti-social behaviour.
• Over £334,000 was allocated from the Basic Command Unit Fund in 2005/06 to provide resources to front line officers tackling crime and disorder in the community.
• The City Council has allocated £648,000 to fund an additional 10 Police Community Support Officers until March 2008, in addition to Home Office and Police funding.

Transport

• A North Staffordshire Joint LTP has been prepared covering both Stoke in Trent and parts of North Staffordshire. In the Local Transport Settlement 2006/07 over £5m has been allocated for the provision of transport measures in its integrated block vote. A further £1.4m has been allocated towards maintenance schemes.
• The two year £40m contract for the A500 Pathfinder Project was opened to traffic on Tuesday 26 September 2006. This scheme includes grade separation at the junctions of the A500 with Stoke Road and City Road.
• The North Staffordshire Advanced Transport Telematics System continues to be developed. Over £1.5m of this year`s integrated block vote was allocated to this system, enabling the city`s traffic to be managed more efficiently and contribute to meeting the traffic congestion target.
• Work started on the £7.2m Tunstall Northern Bypass Scheme in January 2007 and is expected to take a year to complete.

Social Inclusion and Regeneration

• Neighbourhood Renewal Fund allocations include £6.1m available to Stoke-on-Trent in 2006/07 and £7.1m in 2007/18. Funding will improve key services for local people.
• The Business Broker Pilot which seeks to involve Small and Medium sized Enterprises, the Stoke City forum bringing together large employers and the Stoke Community Cohesion Pathfinder bringing together different community interests.
• The Pacific Institute in the Primary Community seeking to raise aspirations for teachers and parents and motivation and achievement of pupils and the Job Guarantee Scheme to create a link between employers with existing vacancies and nearby disadvantaged communities with high levels of unemployment.

European Funding

• Nearly £500,000 was allocated to refurbish the Hothouse Centre in Stoke on Trent, to provide business space for high technological production and design for up to 23 small-medium sized enterprises as well as business advice and training. It is expected to create 70 jobs and nearly £4.2m in sales by 2008.
• Increased funding from £449,000 to £572,000 was awarded to the Burslem Regeneration project to aid its expanded activity October 2001-December 2006.
• £600,000 was approved for a project to improve the immediate town centre around Hanley and the potteries museum. Work is now complete, and the improvements are expected to attract an extra 40,000 visitors from outside the area.
• A range of environmental improvements will take place under the Greening for Growth project with a £3.4m grant April 2000-March 2008.
• £1.8m was allocated to the old colliery, in Chatterley Whitfield. A derelict building will also be converted into a community and volunteering centre, providing training for Community Economic Development area (CED) residents, running from July 2003 - December 2008
• £3.1m was allocated to improve over 110 hectares of land in Chatterley Valley, providing a comprehensive package of serviced sites for high quality employment uses. Almost 45% of the total floorspace will be for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in growth sector industries. It is anticipated that the remainder will attract international or large UK non-SMEs.