Members of the public have been having their say on a new masterplan for the city centre.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council unveiled its 'realistic' vision to regenerate Hanley last week, with the draft masterplan including proposals for a new leisure centre, a bus rapid transit system and hundreds of flats.

Council leaders are urging people to take part in a four-week consultation on the proposals, saying they want it to be a plan 'the whole city can get behind'.

Around 100 people have responded to an online survey so far, and Wednesday saw the first in a series of drop-in events being organised as part of the consultation.

Former city councillor Kieran Clarke was among those who attended the first event at the Potteries Shopping Centre. He believes the council needs to start some projects as soon as possible in order to build public confidence in the regeneration of the city centre.

Mr Clarke said: "I've had a quick look at the masterplan and some of it are things are have been proposed before.

"One issue is that the current council leaders threw out the last plan for the city centre and started again, when maybe they could have kept some of it.

"I think what the council needs to do is get some quick wins, so people will be able to see something positive happening, and that will make them more confident. When you produce a masterplan like this, a lot of people will just say, 'Here we go again.'"

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Elizabeth Roberts and Samantha Nicklin both believe that something needs to be done to give Hanley a boost.

Elizabeth, from Norton, said: "Hanley isn't very good these days because all the shops have closed down. People don't want to go out shopping any more when they can just shop online. They need to have more things and more events to bring people into Hanley."

Samantha, from Smallthorne, added: "Building a leisure centre in Hanley might be a good idea, because it will draw people in and maybe once they're here they'll go to a cafe or do some shopping."

The masterplan will build on the forthcoming Etruscan Square project in the city centre, which has been allocated £20 million of Levelling Up funding.

One of the biggest schemes in the document is the proposed new leisure centre, which is set to replace the ageing Fenton Manor.

There are also plans for a bus rapid transit system to improve public transport, as well as improved pedestrian routes across the city centre.

Further consultation events will take place at the following locations:

• Thursday 12 March 12pm to 5pm – The Potteries Shopping Centre (Unit 201-202 (just off the escalators on level 5 next to Superdrug and Starbucks)
• Tuesday 17 March 1pm-6pm – Moony Club, Longton
• Wednesday 18 March 10am-1pm – Stoke Market
• Wednesday 18 March 2pm-5pm – Tunstall Market
• Thursday 19 March 10am–1pm – Fenton Town Hall, Albert Square
• Thursday 19 March 2pm-6pm – Barewell Gallery, Burslem
• Saturday 21 March 11am to 4pm – The Potteries Shopping Centre (Unit 208 (level 5 next to HMV)

The four-week consultation on the masterplan will run until Sunday 22 March.

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For more information, visit the Stoke-on-Trent City Council website here.