Council leaders have backed proposals to earmark 11 sites for development – but insist that the public will be able to have their say before a final decision is taken.

Cabinet members at Stoke-on-Trent City Council agreed to declare the authority-owned sites surplus and formally submit them to the draft local plan.

They include the site of the former Ball Green High School, and nearly 500 people have so far backed a petition calling for the land to be retained for public us.

The local plan will guide all development in Stoke-on-Trent over the next 15 years, and will include the allocation of sites for thousands of new homes.

But cabinet members said that declaring the sites surplus and submitting them to the local plan did not mean a final decision had been taken over their future.

The draft local plan, which will need to demonstrate how Stoke-on-Trent will meet the government housing target of 948 homes a year, is due to be subject to a public consultation in the autumn.

Cllr Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing and planning, urged residents to take part in the consultation. He said: "This is about the journey that we're going on now to get the local plan ready. One thing I will highlight is the word 'consultation'.

"So I would urge the public, when we go on that journey, to join in with all the consultations. That will give them the chance to add their voice."

Councillor Sarah Hill added: "I've been involved with the LPA group, and all the way through it's been very clear that whatever we come up with, it will be put out to consultation.

"No decisions have been taken, but we've got to come forward with something for people to have a look at."

Councillor Duncan Walker said: "We'd encourage as many people as possible to join in the consultation and submit their ideas, whatever they might be, so we can reach some conclusion after taking everyone's views on board."

Most of the 11 sites are set to be earmarked for housing, but 'various future uses' are being considered for the Ball Green land.

Ball Green High School, off Bemersley Road, closed more than 30 years ago and the building was subsequently demolished – the former playing fields remain in use as football pitches

The petition, started by Conservative opposition councillor Dave Evans, calls for the site to be retained either as an educational facility or sport pitches.

These are the 11 council-owned sites which will be added to the draft local plan:

• Land at Bilton Street – Boothen – 0.59 hectares – Potential future opportunities for self-build residential development
• Land at Booth Street – Boothen – 0.9 hectares – Could potentially form part of a wider residential scheme
• Land at Power Grove – Longton and Meir Hay South – 2.09 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development
• Land at Bengry Road – Lightwood North and Normacot – 0.69 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development
• Land at Eaves Lane – Abbey Hulton – 4.97 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development
• Land at Caverswall Lane – Meir Park – 5.91 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development (part of site occupied by Severn Trent Water, and council would not seek to terminate tenancy)
• Central Business District (Smithfield) – Etruria and Hanley – 1.87 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development. Next phase of Smithfield development will be the subject of a further cabinet report.
• Land at Woodhead Road – Abbey Hulton – 4.3 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development
• Land at Brookwood Drive – Meir North – 4.86 hectares – Future opportunity for residential development
• Land at Canal Lane, Westport Lane – Burslem – 5.3 hectares – Local parking issues will need to be addressed before site can be progressed for potential residential development. Adding the site to the local plan does not commit the council to develop it.
• Land at Ball Green – Baddeley, Milton and Norton – 7.37 hectares – Forms part of the wider Chatterley Whitfield Development Project which considers various future uses

The council expects to submit the full version of the local plan to government in November 2026, after a further round of public consultation.

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