New public square set to be finished by spring

The first phase of a development to regenerate a former industrial site in Stoke-on-Trent is close to completion, according to the city council.

A new public square and green spaces at the Goods Yard is expected to be finished by the spring.

The site will offer a flexible space for live music, pop-up markets and socialising, the council said.

The wider Goods Yard development is one of three projects the city council secured funding for under the former government’s Levelling Up fund.

In March, the council said it was looking for a private developer to help with the Etruscan Square scheme after deciding it could not afford to take on the project in Hanley on its own.

Plans for an arena on the site were scrapped by the authority's Labour administration in October 2023.

Separately, plans were approved in August to redevelop the Spode site to provide a creative technology hub.

Developer Capital & Centric said it was working to sign up independent businesses to fill spaces within the 30,000 sq ft (2,787 sq m) of commercial space at Goods Yard.

It also recently signed a lease for the residential building at the site and will take on 174 apartments.

Tom Wilmot, the firm’s joint managing director, said: "As we get closer to the neighbourhood opening, we’re focused on creating the right mix of community and independent businesses to bring the place to life."

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, the council’s cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said it would bring economic benefits to the city.

“I am sure that the whole of Stoke-on-Trent is as excited as I am to see the finished site come to life," he added.

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