Renewing Northwood
Opportunity for local people to plan the future of Northwood
People in Northwood are being invited to have their say on how to make their community a better place to live.
A major household survey is currently underway in the area as part of public consultation on the Northwood Neighbourhood Plan. The aim is get the views of residents on the issues affecting the area - and the results will help shape plans for the future of Northwood.
Hundreds of survey forms have been delivered to residents and local businesses, and people have also been invited to visit an information display on show at three different venues in the Northwood area.
Adrian Knapper, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, said: "This is a real opportunity to develop a plan for the future of Northwood. We would like to see local people really getting involved and contributing their knowledge of the area to the neighbourhood plan."
Although areas of Northwood are popular, there are some derelict sites and buildings and problems with anti-social behaviour.
The neighbourhood plan aims to identify key issues and set out proposals to address the problems and create an attractive and desirable place to live and work. It will be used as a guide for future development in the area.
The Northwood Neighbourhood Plan was launched in September last year by the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership (NSRP) and Moorlands Harvest Housing.
A team of planning consultants, who were appointed with the help of the local Community Steering Group, has suggested that five ‘headline' issues need to be considered in the development of the neighbourhood plan. They are:
- the need to improve links to employment and training and support for the business community
- the need for better quality and choice of housing
- the need for improvements to public areas and movement through the neighbourhood
- the need for improvements to the layout and mix of land uses within the area
- the future of Northwood Stadium.
Detailed information about these and other issues affecting Northwood will be on display until the end of February at The Hope Centre, Garth Street; Grove Junior School, Keelings Road and Northwood Sports Centre in Keelings Road.
Councillor Knapper added: "We urge everyone to return their surveys by Friday, February 27. We want to hear their views - they know their neighbourhood best and they know the most important issues to be considered while plans for the future of are being developed."X-tra help for housing in North Staffs.
£40 million to help transform housing
From Sentinel
THE Government is pumping almost £40 million into vital housing developments in North Staffordshire over the next two years to combat the credit crunch.
Ministers are pledging to support key home-building schemes in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle by bailing out struggling developers and low-income buyers.
Paul Spooner, West Midlands regional director of the newly-formed Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), said sustaining housing renewal in North Staffordshire was now one of the Government's top regeneration priorities.
He is particularly keen to ensure that flagship housing developments like City Waterside in Hanley do not fall victim to the slump.
Across 2009/10 and 2010/11, £39.6 million will be invested across North Staffordshire, focusing on the City Waterside, the city centre, Middleport and Burslem and two former coalfield sites, Silverdale and Chatterley Whitfield.
It comes alongside £400 million from the Government which will be used nationwide to get first-time buyers and low earners into the housing market. Up to 2,000 West Midlands buyers will benefit.
Housing regeneration agency Renew North Staffordshire is working with 10 private developers to create about 2,500 high quality homes at City Waterside to attract affluent residents and encourage skilled graduates to stay in the city.
Work has begun on four schemes on the banks of the Caldon Canal, but it has slowed or stopped in the past year.
Mr Spooner, said: "The credit crunch has not helped housing developments around the city.
"But we have actually got much of the infrastructure in place.
"We are now saying to the Government that the job is only half done and that we need the money to get the housing momentum and renewal in the city going again.
"We can help developers bridge any funding gap, but we are also working on ways of making it easier for people to get new homes. We are working on a mixed income approach, where we can sell some homes, but also offer shared equity or rental options for those unable to buy a property outright.
"Over the next two years, we expect to spend about £10 million on regeneration and £30 million on affordable and mixed income housing, on top of more than £100 million we have already given to Renew."
The plans will include investing in development sites to provide bridges, access roads and parks, which developers can no longer afford to cover out of their profits.
The money will be recouped years later, when the homes are sold and the HCA receives a percentage of the proceeds.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, councillor Adrian Knapper, welcomed the agency's support.
He said: "The HCA is playing a vital part in the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership's work to make this area a thriving and attractive place."
Motorists and Pedestrians please take care.
Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council are advising
motorists to take extra care on the roads during the next few days as reports
of severe weather put the council's teams to the test again.
Things are made more difficult as councils across the country are having
problems getting supplies of salt.
Staffordshire County Council operates 59 gritters, over 100 snow blades and 20
snow blowers, while Stoke-on-Trent operates a fleet of 10 gritters and nine
snowploughs.
Staffordshire aims to treat normal gritting routes, but no extras, through
until the weekend. Beyond that new supplies of salt are needed.
Cabinet Member for Highways Councillor John Wakefield said: "Our depots have
used up almost three times as much salt this year as they did in the entire
winter of 2007/08. The problem is simply that our suppliers cannot replenish
stocks quickly enough. Since the weekend we have used around 4,000 tonnes but
only received around 300 tonnes. This is a national problem and by no means
restricted to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
"We have a higher than average salting regime than most councils, routinely
salting 43% of the network - primary routes.
"We get to extra routes when we can. This area of work has already been
affected and will have to stop if we don't get new salt supplies.
"The weather forecasts for the rest of the week are turbulent. We will continue
to manage the situation and work to deliver on the primary network.
"We always ask drivers to take care during in these heavy winter conditions,
and I would like to reiterate this now. We will be out there, but some roads
may not be treated, so take care," he said.
"Stoke-on-Trent City Council has 400 tonnes of grit (Wednesday 4 February lunch
time) left in its depots. The council has received 56 tonnes of grit on
Wednesday. No further deliveries are expected because the supplier has run out.
Gritter lorry drivers in Stoke-on-Trent spread 150 tonnes of grit between 4pm
on Monday, 2 February, and 6am on Tuesday, 3 February, when the snow was
especially heavy.
The city council grits major roads and bus routes as a priority and also grits
pavements outside schools, hospitals and older people's homes.
Adrian Knapper, Stoke-on-Trent City Council portfolio holder responsible for
highways said: "Like many other councils, our supplies of grit are running out
and we can't get any more.
"How long it lasts will depend on the weather. If the temperature stays
freezing the roads become icy regardless of whether it is snowing.
"We will monitor the situation and the weather forecasts very carefully. In the
meantime we would urge drivers and pedestrians to take care and avoid driving
on side roads if possible."
Motorists will be kept informed of the situation through the authorities
website at www.staffordshire.gov.uk and www.stoke.gov.uk
A Better Vision for the Potteries Way
£1.8 million improvement works mark the start of transformation in the city
A multi-million pound regeneration of the gateway to Stoke-on-Trent city centre will begin this week. The £1.8 million project to improve Potteries Way marks the first of many improvements for the city centre as part of the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership's (NSRP) £1.5 billion transformational plans.
On Monday, February 2, residents, businesses and councillors will meet to mark the start of improvements. Elected Mayor Mark Meredith, Chair of the NSRP welcomed the investment saying;
"Delivery, delivery, delivery is what we promised when we launched the Regeneration Business Plan. Today we deliver on that promise.
"In these tough economic times it is vital that government funded schemes are implemented swiftly. I'm looking forward to seeing, at long last, the diggers and workers in our city centre delivering regeneration that will transform our city into a place we can all be really proud of".
Work will then begin on the gateway on Monday, February 9, with new trees, lighting and image panels, creating an impressive entrance boulevard for the heart of the city. Works will include:
- Hundreds of new trees and hedges
- 53 new street light columns
- Up to 212 colourful image panels attached to the lighting columns
To start the work, around 160 poor quality trees along Potteries Way will be removed and replaced with semi-mature trees. The work will replace trees that are potentially dangerous or not growing properly, provide instant impact and add to the green image of the area. In addition new ‘instant' beech hedgerows, which are pre-grown by a specialist nursery, will be planted to provide extra screening at the back of houses and businesses. Overgrown ground cover and shrubbery will also be cleared and replaced with neat grass verges.
Councillor Adrian Knapper, Stoke-on-Trent City Council portfolio holder for regeneration and economic development, welcomed the improvements as part of the wider regeneration across North Staffordshire. He said: "This project will help to transform people's view of Stoke-on-Trent City Centre. The greenery and extra lighting of this scheme will create an impressive gateway for both residents and visitors alike. Image panels will then help to greet visitors, creating an excellent first impression."
The first phase of the Potteries Way improvement work is expected to finish in April. It will be followed by a scheme to introduce new lighting columns along the strip of road. The columns will feature colourful image panels designed to welcome visitors to the city and direct them around the central ring road.
These semi-permanent panels can be used to highlight activities and places in the city centre. They can be replaced for short periods with temporary banners to highlight particular events, such as the Tour of Britain cycle race and Christmas lights switch-on.
Council Press Release.
City car park to close
Birch Terrace multi storey car park will close permanently on Saturday 31 January at 7pm.
The city council has decided to close the car park following a survey which found that there were severe structural problems, requiring extensive repairs.
In the interests of public safety, the car park will close from Saturday onwards. As the car park is to be demolished to make way for the new east-west city centre development, it was also decided that it would be more cost effective to close the car park.
Councillor Adrian Knapper, portfolio holder for economic development and regeneration said: "Surveys done by our engineers have left us with no choice but to close the car park, as it might pose a serious risk to anyone using it.
"There is no point refurbishing the car park when there are proposals for a large scale development on that site as part of the regeneration of the city centre.
"We apologise for any inconvenience, but there will still be plenty of space on the other car parks within the city centre."
Permit holders can contact the city council's parking services team if they have any queries on 01782 237999 or email: parking@stoke.gov.uk.
Councillor Knapper has been pressing for investigations into the structure of this car-park due to his private knowledge of issues relating to the effects of salt upon the steel framework and issues around concrete defects on other car-parks that have been reported in the press in other parts of the UK, built around the same time as Birch Terrace.
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