A council insists there has been an 'unprecedented' amount of consultation on a village's controversial masterplan, following criticism from protesters.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's masterplan for Packmoor could result in hundreds of homes being built in fields next to the village.

Residents opposed to the masterplan staged a protest outside the Civic Centre in Stoke on Friday, claiming they are being ignored and calling for more engagement by cabinet members.

In response, the city council has said there had already been extensive consultation, with further engagement planned, and that the proposals are being shaped by residents' views.

This has included the creation of a liaison group with meetings being held on an ongoing basis.

A spokesperson for the city council said: "There has been an unprecedented level of consultation on the Packmoor masterplan, with a wide range of development options set out and discussed openly.

"There have been six consultation events and drop‑in sessions to date, all of which have been supported by council officers and specialist advisers who were able to respond to both community concerns and technical questions.

"These events included online, in person and have been ongoing since December 2024.

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"In addition, the cabinet member directed the creation of a dedicated liaison group so that local residents can have their views heard outside of the formal consultation periods. This is in addition to, not instead of, the statutory consultation process.

"Feedback from residents continues to shape the proposals as they develop, and engagement with the community will remain ongoing."

The draft masterplan sets out five options for the council-owned land at Packmoor, four of which would involve the development of varying amounts of land, delivering between 760 and 1,224 homes.

A fifth option would involve 'doing nothing' – the first public consultation in 2024 found that most respondents were in favour of leaving the land as it is.

The current consultation on the Packmoor masterplan runs until Tuesday 5 May. Find the consultation survey here.