Residents are being recruited to new neighbourhood boards to decide how £60 million will be spent across three parts of Stoke-on-Trent.

Meir North, Bentilee and Ubberley, and Bradeley and Chell Heath have been selected as Pride in Place neighbourhoods, with each set to receive £20 million in government funding over the next decade.

The government says it wants local people themselves to decide how the money is used to improve their communities, which were chosen due to their levels of deprivation and need.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the accountable body for the funding, will now set up independent neighbourhood boards, made up of local people, to carry out this work in each of the three areas.

The council is working with the city's MPs and voluntary organisations to encourage residents to take part in the scheme. Once established, the boards will consult with residents and develop 10-year regeneration plans for their neighbourhoods.

Potential uses for the funding include bringing empty shops back into use, improving community spaces or boosting skills. It is anticipated that the membership of each board will be agreed in the summer, with the regeneration plans due to be submitted by February 2027.

Cabinet members will be asked to approve these arrangements when they meet next week.

The report to cabinet states: "The programme focuses on neighbourhoods where investment can make the greatest difference, supporting places which can have both significant challenges and untapped community strengths.

advertisement

"Meir North, Bentilee and Ubberley, and Bradeley and Chell Heath have initially been selected as Pride in Place neighbourhoods, reflecting socio-economic challenges alongside strong community identity and potential for neighbourhood‑led change.

"The city council's role is facilitative. It is for the neighbourhoods themselves, through the established governance, that determines its priorities for investment."

The report says there could be risk of negative public perception if the council is seen as 'dominating' a neighbourhood board or pushing 'pet projects' rather than genuine community priorities.

To mitigate against this risk, the council will ensure that each board is chaired by an 'independent figure' from the community, with authority for 'vision-setting' formally delegated to the boards.

The council is aiming to recruit the board chairs by mid-May, with the recruitment of board members following this.

All Pride in Place areas will be expected to transition to a 'community-led' model by the third year of the programme. This could involve the neighbourhood boards becoming a co-operative, charity of community interest company, or a local community organisation taking over as the anchor institution.

People can find out how to put in an expression of interest or nominate someone else for board membership by visiting the website here.

They can also email [email protected] with any other questions, ideas and suggestions, specifying which Pride in Place area they are interested in.

advertisement