Two leaseholders remain in a block of council flats – five years after they were earmarked for demolition.

The three-storey block on Bucknall New Road, in Hanley, is the last still standing of eight which were originally marked for redevelopment by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in 2018.

Council officials are now looking to 'voluntarily acquire' two leasehold properties to allow the block, on the south side of Bucknall New Road, to be bulldozed. All seven low-rise blocks on the north side of the road have been demolished.

Council chiefs want to redevelop the wider Bucknall New Road site with hundreds of new homes, but there are currently no firm plans for the project.

According to a delegated decision report, director of housing, development and growth Carol Gibbs has given approval to 'voluntarily acquire leasehold properties at Bucknall New Road and negotiate, agree and pay claims of compensation in respect of the leasehold interests in the two properties'.

Council officials are now looking to 'voluntarily acquire' the properties to allow the block to be demolished (LDRS).

The report says that failure to acquire the flats would see the council continue to incur security and maintenance costs for the block. It would also 'present further delays to the demolition and redevelopment of the site'.

Council leaders first announced plans to redevelop the Bucknall New Road site with a private sector partner as part of a wider £40 million regeneration scheme in 2018, but this project eventually fell through.

In January 2022 cabinet members agreed on a new approach for delivering a 'housing led, mixed tenure redevelopment' on the site. The council continued to 'decant' the last remaining tenants and leaseholders in the 155 flats, who numbered around 20 at this point. Demolition work on the first of the eight blocks began in March last year.

Last month the cabinet approved plans to launch a tender to find a private sector developer for the Etruscan Square site in Hanley. This deal, which is expected to be signed before the end of the year, could be expanded to include other council-owned development sites, such as Bucknall New Road.

According to the report to cabinet, the development agreement with the private sector partner would reduce costs for the council while allowing it to retain some control over the regeneration schemes.

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