Council leaders have agreed to declare 27 sites 'surplus' – potentially allowing some to be sold off for housing.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council says the pieces of land and buildings are now considered surplus to the authority's requirements.

They include the CoRE enterprise centre in Longton, Tunstall Children's Centre, a city centre car park and several Green Belt sites with 'potential for residential development'.

The city council currently has a need to sell off assets in order to repay more than £60 million in emergency government loans it has received over the last three years.

But declaring a site as surplus does not necessarily mean that it will be sold off, only that alternative uses will now be explored, which could include transferring the land or re-purposing it. Cabinet members voted to declare the sites surplus at their meeting on Tuesday.

They also agreed to delegate authority to the director of housing, regeneration and operations, in consultation with the council leader and cabinet member for regenration, to agree detailed terms for each site, including potentially marketing them for sale.

According to the report to cabinet, most of the sites have potential for either residential or commercial uses.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "This touches on two of the priorities we've got in the city. Firstly, to create and build better homes – we know we've got a housing crisis.

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"And secondly, to provide land for employment so people can come and innovate and invest and create jobs."

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, said: "One of the criticisms of this administration has been that we don't look at brownfield sites first. But this report shows we're looking at surplus sites, the majority of which are brownfield. So we do look at brownfield sites, it's there in black and white."

The surplus sites include two pieces of tenanted farmland at Hanchurch, which lie outside the city boundary, within Stafford borough. According to the cabinet report, these Green Belt sites, which add up to 79 acres, have the potential to be developed with housing.

Eight other sites on the list are considered to have 'potential for residential development', while another eight could become commercial or employment sites.

The report also explains that several commercial assets, including the CoRE enterprise centre, have been identified for disposal in response to 'increasing financial pressures' driven by rising operating costs.

A shop unit in Pinfold Avenue, Norton and Stafford Lane car park in Hanley are also expected to present 'ongoing maintenance liabilities' if retained. Tunstall Children's Centre is also among the surplus sites.

Services are due to vacate the building in September, and the report says the site has the potential to be used as a special needs school.

Here are the 27 sites which the council has declared surplus:

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• 75-79 Pinfold Avenue, Baddeley, Milton & Norton – 0.14 acres – Retail unit that requires capital investment. Potential sale to current tenant. Coal mining wheels to be retained.
• 108-110 Lichfield Street, Hanley Park, Joiner's Square & Shelton – 0.03 acres – Acquired for a previous highways scheme, now surplus to future highway plans.
• Core Enterprise Centre, Longton & Meir Hay South – 1.42 acres – Part tenanted commercial property requiring investment in building fabric.
• Land at Hanchurch (outside of the city boundary) – 18.75 acres – Leased under an agricultural tenancy. Potential for residential development. Green Belt Site within Stafford borough
• Land at Hanchurch (outside of the city boundary) – 60.24 acres – Leased under an agricultural tenancy. Potential for residential development. Green Belt Site within Stafford borough
• Hines Street Garage Plots, Fenton West & Mount Pleasant – 0.29 acres – Site comprising of 12 garages, potential for residential development.
• Land at Barlaston Road (outside of the city boundary) – 1.19 acres – Small grazing site within the Green Belt and Stafford borough. Potential for residential development.
• Land off Bath Street, Hartshill Park & Stoke – 0.87 acres – Potential for residential development. Site includes green space.
• Land at Brakespeare Street, Goldenhill & Sandyford – 0.17 acres – Potential for residential development.
• Land at California Street, Longton & Meir Hay South – 0.06 acres – Disposal to facilitate adjacent church extension.
• Land at Capper Street, Tunstall – 0.02 acres – Disposal to adjacent place of worship to facilitate an extension.
• Land at Clermont Avenue, Hanford, Newstead & Trentham – 1.45 acres – Potential for residential development. Site considered open space.
• Land at Elgood Lane, Goldenhill & Sandyford – 4.77 acres – Potential for residential development.
• Land at Federation Road, Burslem – 0.68 acres – Part of a land swap deal to facilitate residential redevelopment of Booth Street, Stoke.
• Land at Lightwood Land, Meir South – 23.38 acres – Potential for residential development.
• Land at Mossfield Road, Bentilee, Ubberley & Townsend and Sandford Hill and Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coyney – 53.52 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development. Part of the site is reserved for burial provision.
• Land at Locketts Lane, Longton & Meir Hay South – 1.33 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development.
• Land at Lytton Street, Hartshill Park & Stoke – 0.10 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development.
• Land at Scotia Road, Tunstall – 0.11 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development.
• Land at Sudlow Street, Moorcroft & Sneyd Green – 0.32 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development.
• Land at St Bernadette's Churc, Great Chell & Packmoor – 0.31 acres – Potential for residential development.
• Land at Werrington Road, Bentilee, Ubberley & Townsend – 2.04 acres – Part of the former Mitchell High School residential development scheme.
• Land at Wesley Street, Tunstall – 0.19 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development.
• Land at West Terrace, Great Chell & Packmoor – 0.06 acres – Potential for residential garden land.
• Land at William Terrace, Great Chell & Packmoor – 0.06 acres – Potential for residential garden land.
• Stafford Lane Car Park, Etruria & Hanley – 0.05 acres – Potential for employment and commercial development.
• Tunstall Children's Centre, Tunstall – 0.23 acres – Existing service to vacate September 2026. Potential to use the site for SEN school or dispose for employment and commercial development