£6.5m plans for blaze-hit old potbank continue

Council ‘working’ with developers on derelict site after another fire

- Phil Corrigan Local Democracy Reporter

COUNCIL leaders say work to bring a fire-hit derelict pottery factory back into use is still continuing.

The Crown Works in Longton was allocated £6.5 million of Levelling Up funding four years ago.

While plans to turn the building into 59 flats were approved in 2024, construction work has yet to start.

Emergency services were called out to a small fire in the building on Tuesday - the latest in a spate involving heritage buildings in Stoke-on-Trent in recent years.

Leaders at Stoke-on-Trent City Council say the blaze highlights the importance of regenerating buildings like the Crown Works.

The authority is working with developer Ovi Homes to bring the Crown Works scheme forward, with the issue of the facility's future operation still unresolved.