A bus rapid transit system, a green energy 'eco-park and the delivery of thousands of new homes are among 12 projects which could transform life in Stoke-on-Trent, council leaders say.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council launched its Future 100 prospectus last year, coinciding with the centenary celebrations, setting out long-term missions for improving the quality of life in the Potteries.

The authority has now published a 'phase one delivery plan' for the prospectus, which lists 12 priority projects – ranging from major regeneration schemes to support for struggling families.

Delivering all the projects will cost hundreds of millions of pounds – with funding sources unclear for some – but council leaders insist the plan is 'realistic'.

Projects include the development of a £250m bus rapid transit network, supporting housing and economic growth and reducing traffic congestion, and the creation of a renewable energy eco-park at Chatterley Whitfield.

The document also includes plans for a £100 million housing land fund for supporting the construction of at least 2,000 homes on brownfield sites by 2035.

Less eye-catching but perhaps more deliverable priorities including continued investment in the Family Matters programme, which aims to keep children out of care, and Strengthening Communities, which involves work with voluntary organisations in neighbourhoods across the city.

Council leader Jane Ashworth told a full council meeting the authority would work with its partners to turn the plan into reality.

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She said: "This is the product of conversations with many, many key players within the city. We think it's important that those organisations, in the public, voluntary and private sectors, are invited to sit down and agree what are the key things that will improve the quality of life for people in the city. The 12 priority projects are the result of those conversations.

"Nothing in this document is a lie or a fantasy. It's all grounded in things we have a realistic opportunity to develop. None of it is electoral politics, and we will do our best to deliver these projects in the time available."

These are the 12 'phase one' priorities listed in the plan:

1. A50/500 investment plan to drive manufacturing growth. Cost: £3 million.
2. Driving key sectoral growth with focus on advanced manufacturing, digital and creative industries. Cost: Initial investment of £1-2 million.
3. Supporting the development of the ceramics sector. Cost: £50-100m.
4. Bus Rapid Transit Network. Cost: £500k (already received) for full business case, £250m+ for construction of full network.
5. Energy system and eco-park at Chatterley Whitfield. Cost: £10m for grid upgrades, £3m for thermal store demonstrator.
6. Housing Land Fund. Cost: £100m capital, £5m revenue funding over 10 years.
7. Regenerating the city and town centres. Cost: £70m over four years.
8. Addressing the Heritage Emergency and securing UNESCO Creative City status. Cost: ~£300m over five to 10 years.
9. Improving educational attainment. Cost: £4.5m over three years
10. Strengthening Communities Programme. Cost: £2.3m operating costs
11. Work and Health Programme. Cost: £10m over five years
12.  Family Matters. Cost: £2m per year external investment required to sustain and expand pilot programme.

Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: "Stoke-on-Trent has created growth, but too many of our people have been locked out of it. That isn't bad luck, it's a failure of connection, between jobs and people, between places and opportunity, between ambition and delivery.

"For too long this council pretended that decline was inevitable, that historic buildings had to be left empty, that brownfield land had to be left idle, and that town centres had to be hollowed out. That approach failed. The Future 100 prospectus rejects that managed decline and replaces it with active intervention."

Opposition councillors gave a mixed response to the delivery plan. Conservative councillor Dave Evans said he would support the plan, while acknowledging that delivering some projects would take time.