New plans will be drawn up for the Spode Works site – including proposals for more than 100 new homes and the restoration of the historic China Halls.

Leaders at Stoke-on-Trent City Council have agreed to appoint Capital & Centric as the development partner for the former potbank in Stoke, which will see the company bring forward fresh proposals to regenerate the site.

These will build on the existing Spode Works masterplan, approved by the council last year, but will add plans for 116 flats and works to bring the China Halls back into use.

The Spode site has previously been awarded £10 million from the government's Levelling Up Fund, and £6.5 million will now be allocated to Capital & Centric.

The first phase of the redevelopment will see the submission of a planning application for the Spode site, the remediation of key buildings for commercial use and the demolition of buildings 'which do not have significant heritage value – with the latter including Gordon House in Kingsway.

Capital & Centric will also submit funding bids to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other bodies for the restoration of the China Halls, the largest building on the Spode site.

The second phase will involve further restoration work as well as the new build build residential scheme, which could be purchased by Capital & Centric.

Cabinet members at the city council rubberstamped the appointment of Capital & Centric at their meeting on Tuesday.

Capital & Centric is currently redeveloping the nearby Goods Yard site next to Stoke Station, and is also working on three regeneration schemes in Newcastle town centre.

Cllr Finlay Gordon-McCusker, describing the move as a 'major step forward' for the Spode site, said the appointment of Capital & Centric would mean avoiding a lengthy procurement exercise. The council has to spend the Levelling Up cash by next year.

Cllr Gordon-McCusker said: "This is about unlocking the potential that's always been there. I think this will be a fantastic example of regeneration that honours our past, delivers for our present and actually builds a future where Stoke town is alive with activity and culture and opportunity.

"If we're serious about revitalising Stoke town, and want some homes build and jobs created, we can't afford to inch forward, we need momentum. And that's what this will give us.

"Capital & Centric are the right fit, they know how to bring a heritage site back to life, and they've proven themselves just up the road at the Goods Yard. They're not just bringing investment and experience, they're bringing a track record of getting things done."

Fellow cabinet member Sarah Hill added: "I think this is very exciting. This is an extraordinary opportunity to do something with this amazing site. We really need to get on with this and make it happen."

In its business plan for the Spode site, Capital & Centric argued that the lack of residential in the existing masterplan brought 'difficulties in terms of viability.'

Capital & Centric says residents in the development will provide a 'built-in customer base' for businesses and help ensure the site's long-term sustainability.

According to the business plan, the proposals will lead to 820 square metres of floorspace being repurposed and 650 square metres of new commercial space being created, along with the 116 new residential units.

The report to cabinet describes both the new residential units and the restoration of the China Hall as a 'positive additions'.

Planning applications for the Spode site are expected to be submitted this coming winter. The council says the site will continue to host organisations such as Dog & Bone Ltd, ACAVA,and Claybody Theatre

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