A total of 4,171 homes are set to be built in Stoke-on-Trent over the next five years, according to a new report.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has to produce an annual five year housing land supply statement, showing that there are sufficient development sites across the area to meet nationally-set housing targets.

Failure to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply can make it more difficult for the council to block unsuitable or controversial planning applications. According to the council's latest statement, Stoke-on-Trent currently has sufficient 'deliverable' sites to supply 4,172 new homes up to 2028.

This compares to a housing requirement – calculated according to national guidelines – of 3,701 homes. This means that Stoke-on-Trent currently has a housing land supply equating to 5.64 years – comfortably above the requirement.

The city's housing land supply is calculated by adding up all the homes yet to be built – as of April 1, 2023 – on sites with planning permission, along with sites which do not yet have permission but where there is good evidence to show that they will be developed within the next five years.

60 homes could be built on the former North Staffordshire Royal Infirmiry site in Hartshill (Google).

If a site has planning permission but work has not yet started, the council applies a 'lapse rate' of 19 per cent, to take into account the fact that some developments will stall. The council is also allowed a 'windfall' allowance based on past delivery of new homes.

Development sites included in the calculation include the former North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary site in Hartshill, where 60 homes could be built by 2028, and land of Chessington Crescent in Trentham, where 200 homes are set to be built over this period. The list also includes the Spode site in Stoke and the former Edensor Technology School in Longton and Mitchell High School in Bucknall. While none currently have planning permission, together they could provide 220 new homes by 2028.

The council's planning committee was given a presentation on the latest housing supply statement, and while they noted the findings, members raised concerns that the nationally-set requirement did not take into account Stoke-on-Trent's specific housing issues or needs.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has produced a five year housing land supply statement (Nub News).

Councillor Andy Platt pointed out that the national policy only took into account the construction of brand new homes, and failed to recognise the need to bring empty housing back into use. Stoke-on-Trent currently has hundreds of homes that have been left empty and unfurnished for more than a year.

Cllr Platt said: "The national planning policy framework doesn't take into account empty properties, an issue we've discussed a number of times recently. That is housing that can be provided for people, but they're empty. It can be 10 per cent of the houses in a terraced street.

"I think this whole thing about the need for new housing has got to be re-addressed somehow, because there is housing in this city that's not being used. But we're being forced to build on green fields. I know some of these sites were always intended to be built on, but when we're got empty properties it seems like such a shame."

Councillor Ross Irving said the national policy did not take into account Stoke-on-Trent's particular geography, or its need for specific types of housing.

He said: "Compared to neighbouring authorities, Stoke-on-Trent doesn't have these vast areas for potential development. I can remember previous applications for developments on greenfield sites for high-end properties, which we've refused. The reason they've come forward is that a lot of people who work in the city have to live outside its boundaries because we cannot provide that type of accommodation. That is where we've got a real issue.

"I know people with good jobs in Stoke-on-Trent, but they don't live here – they live in Newcastle or Stafford or Cheshire East. That isn't good for our economy."

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