Gates to be installed at Stoke Town Hall to deter 'anti-social behaviour'
Gates will be installed at a town hall to prevent rough sleepers accessing a sheltered entrance way.
The portico at Stoke Town Hall, on the Glebe Street side of the building, is frequently used by street homeless people as a shelter from the elements.
But Labour-run Stoke-on-Trent City Council is now set to spend £32,175 on installing gates across the three archways to prevent public access to the portico.
The authority says that staff at the town hall are seeing 'almost daily occurrences of anti-social behaviour', which it links to rough sleepers in the area.
Council bosses have agreed to use funds from Stoke-on-Trent's £19.65 million Levelling Up Partnership (LUP) award on the 'heritage style gates'. LUP funds will also be spent on similar measures at points around the neighbouring Civic Centre building, which are similarly affected by anti-social behaviour and rough sleeping.
Around £1 million of the council's LUP award is being allocated towards 'design out crime and anti-social behaviour' schemes such as these.
A council report on the LUP programme states: "Stoke Town Hall suffers from almost daily occurrences of anti-social behaviour, frequently affecting council staff.
"The anti-social behaviour is predominantly linked to rough sleepers and the litter they leave around the area, particularly the sheltered area by the side entrance opposite the church.
"Council staff are spending an increasing amount of time dealing with the issues, and the behaviour is causing fear from both council officers and residents accessing the council buildings, as well as the wider community."
The portico is no longer the main entrance to the town hall, but the doors are sometimes used when events are held in the building.
Gates were originally part of the design of the Grade II listed building, but they were removed several decades ago.
A planning application to re-install the gates was approved in 2018, but the scheme was never carried out. At the time, the proposals were criticised by members of the then opposition Labour group.
Planning permission and listed building consent will again be required before the gates can be installed.
The LUP report says that rough sleeping, anti-social behaviour and littering are also common issues in the area between the Civic Centre's main entrance and the Glebe Hotel, the staff car park and in the recess which runs along the A500 side of the building.
According to the report, council staff have faced abuse, and items have been stolen from parked vehicles.
Thousands of pounds of LUP funding will be spent on measures such as gates and mesh fences to prevent public access to these areas.
The first phase of the 'design out crime' programme will see similar measures carried out at other hotspots in Stoke, Longton and Tunstall.
Cllr Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said: "People tell us they're fed up with seeing empty buildings attracting vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
"They want safer streets, cleaner public spaces, and a real plan to tackle these issues—not just words. That's exactly what we're delivering.
"The Design-Out-Crime project is the first stage of a wider programme to reduce crime, tackle anti-social behaviour, and improve our public spaces. We've secured just over £7 million to make real improvements in Tunstall, Stoke, Burslem, and Longton, this includes funding for Design-out-Crime and we're asking residents to have their say on the plans.
"We know that bringing empty buildings back into use helps prevent crime, and the council has a responsibility to protect key assets and work with private building owners to do just that.
"We've identified locations where people feel unsafe—places with repeated issues like arson, drug misuse, and anti-social behaviour—and we're targeting them with real, practical solutions.
"This is all part of our plan for a cleaner, greener, and safer city.
Cllr Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning and homelessness added: "At the same time, we know that tackling these problems isn't just about enforcement—it's about support.
"We know from speaking to local people that they want to see help for those who are struggling, and we're making sure it's there.
"That means offering immediate support to anyone who finds themselves homeless, getting rough sleepers off the streets quickly, and providing long-term accommodation for those facing challenges like mental health issues, addiction, or a history of offending.
"This is about making our communities safer and stronger—working with local people to build a city we can all be proud of."
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Read more: Man from Stoke-on-Trent among two jailed after knifepoint robbery
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