Building together for a strong future

Stoke-on-Trent Housing Strategy 2017 - 2022

2.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD .................................................................................................. 3

STRATEGY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................. 4

STRONGER TOGETHER PRIORITIES ........................................................... 5

A CITY FOR LIVING IN .................................................................................. 6

A HOME FOR EVERY STAGE OF LIFE ........................................................... 10

A FOCUS ON PEOPLE .................................................................................. 14

A FOCUS ON HOMES ................................................................................... 18

OUR HOUSING GROWTH AMBITIONS ......................................................... 23

3.

FOREWORD

Stoke-on-Trent is the thirteenth largest city conurbation in the UK and has the fourth fastest growing economy of any local authority in England. It has been approved as Housing Business Ready and has been granted Housing Zone status.

Stoke-on-Trent is rediscovering and reframing those things that have made it great in the past – in particular its world-renowned ceramics industry. The city is planning on making much more of its unique features and natural assets, and exploiting its geography – between north and south – and its regional and national connectivity. Stoke-on-Trent is growing as a place of learning with Staffordshire University moving to concentrate its facilities in the city centre and Keele University close by.

It is embracing new opportunities to expand its economy by encouraging new investment and entrepreneurship in order to generate thousands of new jobs, giving the city momentum to become a critical economic driver for Staffordshire and Cheshire. And is also making improvements to key services, in particular health, education and transport.

The City of Stoke-on-Trent is a city on the move

Councillor Randolph ContehCabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Safer City

Councillor Jack BreretonCabinet Member for Regeneration, Transport and Heritage

Carl BrazierDirector of Housing and Customer Services

The city council is looking at itself as a facilitator of change. It is becoming more commercial in its outlook and improving its governance and efficiency. With the support of its residents the council will make this happen, staying true to the city’s motto Vis Unita Fortior, which translates as: ‘united strength is stronger’ meaning that we are Stronger Together.

To make Stoke-on-Trent a place where people actively choose to live and work, we are looking carefully at what needs to happen in our housing and residential areas. We are looking at all the accommodation available within the city – its size, design, location, quality and attractiveness – and its ability to meet the aspirations and needs of both Stoke-on-Trent residents and new residents who may be attracted to live and work in the city. Our overall aim is to enhance the housing offer, in order to support this we have established our own company, Fortior Homes, which puts us in a position to influence housing development in the city .

We believe Stoke-on-Trent has a lot to offer people and that it can enhance this offer further. This powerful blend of action will bring energy and interest and, in time, will make Stoke-on-Trent a thriving and modern core1UK City. It will continue to be a great place to live where people can fulfil their potential, businesses can thrive, and more vulnerable citizens can live happily2.

1http://corecities.com 2See Stronger Together: http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/content/community/community/stronger- together/stronger-together.en

4.

STOKE-ON-TRENT HOUSING STRATEGY 2017 - 2022

The aim of this strategy is to enhance Stoke-on-Trent’s housing offer so that people at all stages of life can find and live in a quality home they want at a price they can afford.

• To make new housing development viable so that a range of new homes are built that are attractive and affordable to people whatever stage of life they are at

• To improve the condition and liveability of existing homes and rental management practices in Stoke-on-Trent

• To enable people to live well in their homes and make good housing choices throughout their lives

• To respond well to government requirements and make the most of government initiatives that relate to housing

Delivery of this strategy will ensure that we will:• Deliver a better balance in the range of homes available across the city so

that there are attractive options for people who already live in Stoke-on-Trent and for those who would like to live in the city in the future

• Improve the quality of the homes and residential environments across the city

• Make it possible for people to access and enjoy living independently in their home

• Make Stoke-on-Trent a more attractive place to live

Aim:

Objectives:

Outcomes:

5.

Working together to create a stronger city we can all be proud of

STRONGER TOGETHER

• Increase the number of people moving into work

• Transform training and skills provision, supporting business growth and enabling local people to secure good quality work

Support our residents to fulfil their potential

• Preserve and enhance the unique heritage of our city

• Deliver a significant improvement in housing quality by investing in homes and driving up housing standards

• Involve communities in making each town and neighbourhood a great, vibrant and healthy place to live and work

Work with residents to make our towns and communities

great places to live

• Enable and support more people to live independently and safely

• Improve quality of life, independence and choice for vulnerable adults

• Enable young people leaving care to live independently and safely

• Support residents to manage their money effectively, improving uptake of benefits for those who are eligible

Support vulnerable people in our communities to live

their lives well

Support our businesses to thrive, delivering investment in our

towns and communities

A commercial council, well governed and fit for purpose,

driving efficiency in everything we do

• Deliver an increase in the number of new houses of various tenures, prioritising development on brownfield land

• Deliver a transformation in the number of apprenticeships in the city and in the council

• Deliver optimal efficiency in all our services adopting delivery models that deliver maximum value for residents

• Optimise value from local public spending and increase the proportion of spending with local businesses

The Stronger Together Strategic Plan 2016-20 sets out the vision and overarching priorities and objectives for the council. The diagram below shows how the Housing Strategy will contribute to the achievement of that vision.

6.

A CITY FOR LIVING IN

We have a big vision for making Stoke-on-Trent into a great place to live where businesses can thrive and residents can fulfil their potential. We know that this requires consistent, dedicated progress on many fronts. Making sure that we have the right sort of homes that are high quality and attractive is an important part of this process, but it is one of many strands of work that will make the change happen. This section sets the scene; it explains our vision for the city and touches on some of the wider work going on across the council and beyond, in order to achieve our goal.

Building on Stoke-on-Trent’s assets

Stoke-on-Trent has an abundance of strengths and assets – physical such as green spaces and cultural such as our heritage in fine porcelain. We are going to employ and enhance them to make a much more liveable city. The city’s strengths and assets include:

Green Stoke-on-Trent: a system of healthy green spaces and green transport corridors throughout the city

Stoke-on-Trent is one of the greenest cities in the UK. The abundance of parks and green spaces is appreciated by Stoke-on-Trent’s citizens who come out in force to help maintain and improve them. It also has many canals, rivers and brooks that flow through several of Stoke-on-Trent’s towns, criss-crossing the city. Stoke-on-Trent is a perfect size for people who like to get around by bicycle, scooter and even on foot.

Stoke-on-Trent has an extensive network of green transport routes through parks and along greenways and waterways, connecting popular places with each other for use by cyclists, walkers and buggy-users. This inspired the CycleStoke programme that ran from 2008-11. We intend to enhance further these transport routes to make it easy to get around using healthy modes of transport. We will continue to work with communities, schools and businesses to make best use of these routes.

A place where businesses thrive

Over recent years Stoke-on-Trent has become one of the most successful UK cities at creating job opportunities as well as a record number of business start-ups.

The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire City Deal is worth £113 million and will support up to 23,000 jobs for local people over the next decade.

Some of Stoke-on-Trent’s major employers include; Michelin, Steelite, Fuch, Bet365, Vodafone, Emma Bridgewater, Moorcroft and Goodwin International.

Connected Stoke-on-Trent: quick and easy access to just about everywhere

The city stands on the M6, West Coast Mainline and HS2 transport corridor - the backbone of Britain – midway between Birmingham and Manchester. Its location is enhanced by its proximity to Manchester Airport (45 minutes) and to the Peak District and Alton Towers (less than 30 minutes).

Stoke-on-Trent is already well-connected by rail links to London, Manchester, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Crewe and Derby, and is well positioned in respect of the national road network. Taking maximum advantage of the city’s location by accelerating market demand through enhanced connectivity is one of the keys to driving the city’s high growth agenda. As a result the city is working regionally and nationally to improve strategic infrastructure and ensure journey times remain competitive with other destinations. Similarly we have identified local infrastructure improvements designed to facilitate site access and speed up delivery of housing sites.

In particular we have been working with the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd on how best to connect the city, the Government having committed that Stoke-on-Trent will be connected to the HS2 network. We continue to work to ensure that Stoke-on-Trent receives the highest level of connectivity possible, which would unleash the true potential in our city for new jobs and housing, including the opportunity to develop as a commuter destination on the back of significantly improved journey times, particularly to Birmingham.

Through the Northern Gateway Development Zone we have also been partnering our neighbours in Staffordshire and Cheshire to maximise the opportunities for economic growth from multiple HS2 connectivity, with ambitious targets for jobs and housing growth, a very significant proportion of which are expected to be delivered in the city.

7.

Unique history and heritage: a stage for creative industries and alternative cultural experiences

Stoke-on-Trent has a range of attractive industrial buildings, the canal network, and other unique features associated with the pottery industry. We will retain and renovate, and build sensitively around them to maximise people’s enjoyment of an urban landscape that is truly unique. We have already embarked on developing new aesthetically pleasing homes and converted warehouse residences. With our partners we intend to continue developing the Spode factory in Stoke and other sites.

Alongside new homes, new infrastructure is coming to support the creative industries; artist studios, low-cost workspace, co-working possibilities, exhibition spaces – all at a fraction of the cost of similar spaces in London, yet accessible for artists who want to build their profile in the capital.

The spaces we design will reflect the city’s strong artistic and cultural themes, reinforcing Stoke-on-Trent’s reputation as a nationally significant creative hub.

Outstanding countryside: for all to enjoy

Stoke-on-Trent is close to outstanding countryside that draws a range of visitors to the city.

The Staffordshire Moorlands has stunning gritstone outcrops – The Roaches, Chrome Hill, Cheeks Hill and Axe Edge Moor – as well as Rudyard Lake, Churnet Valley also known as ‘The Rhineland of Staffordshire’ and some unique features such as the Churnet Valley Railway. Not much further afield is the Peak District with a great many walks, bike rides, beautiful scenery and visitor attractions.

For those who prefer staying closer to the city, there is Park Hall, a national nature reserve and geological special interest site with woodlands, heathland and ponds to enjoy.

A centre of excellence for sport

Stoke-on-Trent offers a range of high quality sport and recreation opportunities. In 2016 this was recognised through the city’s designation as the UK’s European City of Sport 2016.

Work by the council and its and partners to celebrate this has led to the development of an extensive programme of events, activities and new opportunities which will be delivered over the next three years.

These developments support and build on existing infrastructure through both sports facilities and opportunities to train and compete which means that the city is able to offer the support needed for those with a talent and ambition required to join its long tradition of producing high calibre athletes. Equally for those who only want to participate for their own enjoyment and health, a diverse and exciting offer is available.

Affordable Stoke-on-Trent: some of the most affordable housing in the country

In most places, getting a foot on the property ladder has become a pipe dream for many young and not-so-young people as house prices have risen faster than incomes. Stoke-on-Trent is different. The relative low price of the housing here is in stark contrast to many of the surrounding areas making it more affordable relative to those locations and, as the economy strengthens and incomes rise, affordability will improve further. We are committed to helping young people buy a good quality home without having to draw on the bank of Mum and Dad, which means there are great opportunities for those who don’t see themselves as ‘Generation Rent’.

8.

The City’s plans for improving key services

Health - Progress is being made with regard to the health of the local population, for example fewer young people are taking up smoking than in the past and the percentage of adults who smoke has also fallen.

How healthy people are depends not only on their diet and physical activity, but to a significant extent on the environment in which they live. The council understands that the quality of housing in the city affects the health and wellbeing of its residents, with illness caused by living in cold, damp and dangerous homes costing the NHS at least £2.5bn a year.

To enable and empower residents to live healthy and fulfilling lives the city council is working in partnership with stakeholders and organisations to create a local healthy environment by:• Continuing to prioritise work on healthy urban planning, including housing

developments• Implementing a ‘wayfinding’ information system to encourage residents and

visitors to choose active methods of transport when travelling around the city, including walking and cycling

Education - Currently in the city 82% of all schools are judged to be good or better by OfSTED. Education outcomes for children and young people are improving. At each key stage pupils attained close to the national average in 2015, and are making good progress overall in reading, writing and maths.

This improvement is particularly marked by the end of primary school. Our secondary education outcomes have remained static and attainment gaps between vulnerable groups of pupils and their peers are showing signs of narrowing.

We intend to focus our next phase of improvement on secondary education through the following key developments that are taking place in the city:• Undertake an annual external review of each school • Develop a Mathematics Excellence Partnership • Establish literacy programmes for pupils locally and a local literacy hub, in

partnership with the National Literacy Trust • Deliver self-esteem and spoken literacy programmes in Y5, Y6 and Y7 classes

across the city, in partnership with the English Speaking Board• Implementation of a school readiness programme of activities across the city

in Early Years• Continuation of the Stoke Reads and Stoke Speaks Out programmes• Develop networks of schools with the capacity to support and challenge

schools’ improvement, in partnership with the University of Worcester

As well as making the most of our assets, we are also intending to improve services and infrastructure within the city:

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Transport - Improved connectivity will be crucial to deliver the Northern Gateway Development Zone (NGDZ) vision of 100,000 new homes and 120,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. The NGDZ spans Cheshire and the north of Staffordshire, including the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe and the A500 corridor, and aims to capitalise on the UK Government’s investment in HS2, the new high-speed rail link connecting the cities of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

The city council is working through the Midlands Connect Partnership, the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd, Network Rail and Highways England, and with partners in the Northern Gateway Development Zone, to deliver significant improvements to the national transport infrastructure.

Highlights are:• Completing the upgrades of the M6 west of the city• The first SMART trunk roads in the UK piloted in Stoke-on-Trent • Improve the A50 from the city to the East Midlands • Fully integrated connectivity to HS2• East/West rail connectivity massively upgraded with direct trains connecting

the city to Liverpool, Chester, Shrewsbury, North Wales and Nottingham• New and improved local stations• Direct rail connectivity to Manchester and Birmingham airports

The city’s own network of road, rail, bus, cycle routes and footpaths is vital in transforming the city. It connects together the city’s special mix of creative towns and people. It connects people to jobs and vibrant enterprises to customers and people to the city’s fantastic countryside and green spaces. It’s the route to access our rich architectural heritage, the libraries and community centres, arts and culture, and sports facilities.

Local improvements will include: • Delivering the Etruria Valley link road opening up new development land

and providing an additional direct connection into the city-centre from the strategic A500 and M6 network

• Completion of the city-centre ring road with junction improvements and capacity upgrades to key connecting corridors

• Millions of pounds of public and private sector investment pumped into improvements in Stoke Town, Stoke station and the University Quarter

• Major improvements on junctions and capacity along key corridors• Improvements on the A53 Leek Road corridor east into the city• Improvements from City Centre north to Burslem and Tunstall• A quality bus partnership for North Staffordshire with more investment and

more powers for local people• Improved air quality• Encourage more people to use the city’s 200km cycle network, green

corridors and footpaths• Create a network of electric car charging points • £20.4m invested in improving the condition of the city’s existing roads over the

next five years (potholes, resurfacing etc.)

10.

A HOME FOR EVERY STAGE OF LIFE

• Recent growth has been mainly due to births, international migration, students coming to study and people living longer. Expansion of the universities and NHS teaching hospital will drive further increases in the number of students and the older population is also expected to grow significantly.

• Additional student accommodation is needed as well as the right type of housing for graduates that leave university but who want to stay in the city.

• Young economically active people can’t always get access to a mortgage to buy their first home due to complexities around lending criteria and affordability. Some choose to rent privately in the long-term while others are saving for a deposit and hoping that they will at some point be able to buy their own home.

• Whilst we are developing more aspirational homes there are still too few. This causes some economically active people who can afford such homes to move out of the city.

• The new Local Housing Company aims to provide a range of high quality private rented housing. They will meet the needs of a significant number of people who work in the city and stay in hotels during the week, returning home for weekends.

Our objective:To make new housing development viable so that a range of new homes are built that are attractive and affordable to people whatever stage of life they are at

Stoke-on-Trent’s population is growing steadily and is predicted to grow over the next 20-25 years, meaning more new households who will need accommodation. Key findings from the available evidence, including the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), shows that across the city:

MOVINGHOUSE

11.

The evidence also shows that Stoke-on-Trent has relatively high numbers of some types of dwelling and low numbers of others. Compared to neighbouring areas and the national average, it has:• More semi-detached homes and pre-1919

terraces, and fewer larger detached homes and flats

• More than average numbers of two and three bedroom dwellings, and fewer than average four and five bedroom dwellings

• Significantly more social rented homes (also more than the regional average)

• Insufficient good quality private renting options for temporary and permanent renters

• Below average but improving conditions in private housing

• 81% of all dwellings are valued within council tax bands A and B (the lowest bands) compared to 44% of dwellings nationally

What this imbalance means is that as households evolve, from a single person to a couple, a young then growing family, ‘empty nesters’ and mature single people, they can’t always find the sort of home they want in the area they want it.

Over the next few years, we want the balance of housing in the city to change, so that there are enough homes of different types, sizes and quality for people at all stages in their lives to aspire to. We consider it to be critical to Stoke-on-Trent’s economic future to increase the number of larger homes in attractive environments so that people are not compelled to look outside the city for more varied housing options.

This strategy aims to promote the case for housing investment to create a balanced housing market, while at the same time providing sufficient new homes of all sizes across the city, in line with the recommendations in the SHMA.

Stoke-on-Trent’s private rented sector has grown in size over the past 15 years. We want to increase the stakes so that we create a sector where both the homes and the residential environments support our vision for a thriving city. We will do this by:• Increasing the quantity of new good quality homes

available to rent privately, by building through our local housing company

• Supporting private landlords through advice, guidance and, if necessary, enforcement to achieve good standards of property management and maintenance

While there is a significant proportion of affordable (social rented) homes already, they are not always of a type or quality to meet modern expectations. New social homes will not only replace those that are sold, but also improve the balance and quality in particular locations. In doing so, we aim to be more flexible so that the supply can adapt as the housing market and demand for homes changes. For example, we could provide time-limited affordable housing that could be sold on the open market after, say, five or ten years, if the housing market dynamics support this course of action.

12.

We have identified five stages of life, each of which brings with it different needs and aspirations for housing:

Students studying at university

Young people

People establishing their home in Stoke-on-Trent

Staffordshire University’s campus and teaching facilities in Stafford closed in 2016 and relocated to Stoke-on-Trent. This has increased the requirement for more student accommodation. It will also increase the number of new

graduates emerging with qualifications who could be persuaded to stay on and eventually settle in the city. In line with this increase, there has been a recent rise in the number of student accommodation approvals. In addition to this, we:• Will seek to work with the university on projections

for the student population and what this means for accommodation requirements

• Draw up a plan to support the development of new good quality student accommodation in line with the projections identified

• Work with the university to offer quality accommodation for students choosing to rent privately

We want people to be able to find a home of choice to settle down in Stoke-on-Trent. The range of homes needs to include both purchase and rental options and provide attractive and affordable choices for the full range

of households, including those with high earning potential, young families and individuals – people who may be single throughout their adult life or at times during their lives. It will also look at the demand and future demand for financial and equity products to help people buy their home – such as Rent to Buy and homesteading options, where low cost finance is provided to support refurbishment of poor condition homes. The recommendations will be clearly linked to regional and national policies, Stoke-on-Trent’s anticipated future and local aspirations.

We are looking:• To encourage the development of new, high quality

homes for sale on the open market, with various assisted purchasing schemes supporting the process

• To provide affordable properties to meet current demand across all tenures

• At the potential for a second phase of the Empty Homes Acquisition and Disposals programme

• To upgrade the quality of private rented housing available in the city, to increase the range available and promote a private rented sector that is in a good and safe standard of repair, so that it becomes a tenure of choice for those who want to rent – by (1) working with private landlords and (2) building private rented homes directly through a local housing company

• To bring forward sites that deliver starter homes (through the Starter Homes Initiative) as appropriate to demand, in partnership with the HCA

• To offer self-build options for those who want to participate in building their own home

• To support communities where appropriate in exploring different models of community housing

We want all young people to have routes to independence and to choose to stay living in Stoke-on-Trent, including those going through the apprenticeship route to learn a trade or profession within a company, new graduates

emerging from the university and those leaving the care system. We will:• Undertake an accommodation supply and demand

mapping exercise for 16 – 30 year olds in Stoke-on-Trent. The exercise will identify strengths and weaknesses in the current provision of housing and accommodation for young people in the city, and provide recommendations in relation to future requirements for housing and accommodation

• Continue to deliver improvements in services and accommodation for young people leaving care and other vulnerable young people who require supported accommodation in the city

13.

Maturing families Older people

The size of the population over the age of 65 is set to grow markedly in Stoke-on-Trent – particularly those in the 79+ age range requiring higher levels of support. We know we need to plan ahead for this and that our

plan needs to enable older people to have access to suitable housing choices to maintain a meaningful connection with communities throughout. To assist with this, the council is reviewing and remodelling its sheltered housing properties.• The Older People’s Housing Strategy 2015 – 2020

provides information relating to demographic forecasts and epidemiological factors within the older population that will affect future demand for age friendly housing which includes, supported housing schemes, bungalows, specially adapted homes, homes built to lifetime homes standard as well as support services which enable older people to stay healthier and independent for longer. This strategy sets out in some detail the council’s plan and rationale for supporting independence, interdependence and choice for Stoke-on-Trent’s older people

• It contains four priorities that the council will work to deliver, with partners. We are looking to

• Deliver a choice of new, appropriate, high quality, affordable housing options enabling older people to live as independently as possible, including by drawing on HCA grant to support delivery of specialist accommodation

• Improve existing accommodation choices and neighbourhoods, providing age friendly communities where older people feel in control, safe and secure

• Provide appropriate seamless support services to enable people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible and to assist people to move home where this is appropriate

• Improve the advice and information available about the housing and support options for older people and ensure that there is clear and trusted advice about how to access it

We want maturing families to be able to find a place they want to live in Stoke-on-Trent as their families grow in size and age. This includes high and middle earners who have traditionally moved out of the city to find suitable homes

elsewhere, and who have not typically been attracted to move to Stoke-on-Trent. We are looking:• To encourage the development of new three and

four bed homes in attractive locations in Stoke-on-Trent, with adequate parking facilities and not too far from good schools and bus routes

• To offer and promote more custom-build options for those who want to take charge of developing a home in a location they want to live in

14.

A FOCUS ON PEOPLE

Pre-tenancy Work

All new council tenants are offered pre-tenancy support and advice prior to becoming council tenants. A new tenant visit will be carried out within the first few weeks of the tenancy in order to increase the likelihood that the tenancy will be successful.

Housing and support for people with disabilities

People with disabilities have a higher probability of developing health problems than the rest of the population. Some of the key determinants of health inequalities for people with a disability are risk of exposure to poverty, poor housing, unemployment and social isolation.

Accommodation for people with disabilities can be divided into settled accommodation, where the person can reasonably expect to stay as long as they want and unsettled accommodation such as residential care homes, where residents do not have security of tenure. Housing related support is available to people with disabilities, regardless of tenure type to help them achieve and maintain their independence.

Our next step is to make sure accommodation considers a range of disability needs such as physical disability, learning disability and mental health needs.

Cooperative Working … helping people to live their lives well

Central to the housing offer is the establishment of cooperative working across the city. The aim of cooperative working is to bring together and better co-ordinate public and partner services. Cooperative working delivers an effective local offer of support as well as being the gateway to more intensive interventions for both adults and families. The integrated offer of support links across all age ranges and builds upon the work delivered by Housing Services and other public sector partners. The model focuses around having key workers who will liaise closely with individuals and households and co-ordinate a number of different services and partners. The approach is about intervening earlier and making sure we look at people’s problems in the wider context of their life, getting the right sort of support at the right time.

The home environment is a very important factor in making us happy, healthy and productive. For some people, having a home they like that meets their and their family’s needs and aspirations is a great motivator in life; a reason for developing skills, developing a career and getting on in life. Many people are in need of occasional support and advice to help them to find and settle in a suitable home as their life-circumstances change. And for some other people, living independently successfully requires regular support, and this can take a number of forms. Some respond well to intensive support that helps them in a timely way to avert a crisis, stabilise their situation and enable them to make their way in their lives.

This section summarises a range of existing council strategies and plans that are focused on supporting various groups of vulnerable people. It therefore provides a narrative of how the council, working with local partners, is acting to ensure people can meet their needs relating to housing and support. It also sets out how the council is intending to respond to recent new legislation and government announcements.

Our objective:To enable people to live well in their homes and make good housing choices throughout their lives

15.

Housing and support for children leaving care

Over the last five years the council has made huge strides forward in its support for children leaving care and has become well-regarded by other councils in its approach. Housing officers now work within the council’s leaving care teams making sure that all 16-18 year olds receive active and personalised support to meet their accommodation needs alongside developing life skills and making the most of education and employment opportunities.

Our next step in supporting young people leaving care and other vulnerable young people is to make sure the right accommodation is available. We will:• Identify and dedicate suitable accommodation

specifically for occupation by these young people• Develop opportunities for funding accommodation

by utilising pooled budgets across the council and considering the use of innovative approaches such as Social Impact Bonds and the use of personal budgets

• Develop services and an approach to pathway planning for young people leaving care that will help them to make the right accommodation choices and to sustain their accommodation. This will include the continued use of a council ‘training flat’ where young 17 year old care leavers can stay for a few weeks at a time to try out independent living in a supported and safe environment, before leaving care

Housing and support for homeless people

A recent homelessness review undertaken by the council suggests that official declines in statutory homelessness statistics may be offset by increases in other forms of homelessness. The true extent of homelessness in Stoke-on-Trent is likely to include a substantial number of people in the city who have no secure housing available to them and who stay with their family or friends or in other insecure accommodation on a short-term basis. There is particular concern that young people form a large part of this group, being most at risk of hardship and becoming homeless in light of welfare benefit changes. There is evidence to suggest that many people who become entrenched in a cycle of homelessness and destitution, offending, mental ill-health and substance misuse commonly begin their journey before their 16th birthday.

The council supports a range of housing related support and homeless prevention services which work with vulnerable people, helping them to gain control over the circumstances of their lives and gain access to health, financial and other services as well as suitable temporary and then settled accommodation. This helps them to become less vulnerable, more independent and less at risk of crises that could result in them becoming long-term homeless.

The council is currently preparing a homelessness strategy that has a strong preventative theme and that aims to make sure people have access to suitable, affordable accommodation with appropriate support. In addition to addressing the issues of those with multiple disadvantage, the council aims to work with partners to ensure that:• People and communities are prepared for

changes to welfare benefits • Health, housing and criminal justice services each

contribute to the prevention of homelessness.• Appropriate services are in place to support

young people• Effective support through homelessness is

available and accessible to everybody.• Health, housing and social care services are

available and accessible to everybody.• Advice and support agencies in the city

operate flexibly

The council is committed to implement the required measures to achieve the ‘Gold Standard’ of service provision for people facing homelessness in the city.

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Making homes warm, keeping bills low

In the period 2012-15, council action on ‘affordable warmth’ led to 7,200 measures – insulation, heating systems etc. – being installed in 4,100 homes. Our plans to continue this work are set out in a new Fuel Poverty Strategy for 2016-20 which intends to reduce the rate and risk of fuel poverty. The aims are to improve people’s thermal comfort and reduce cold-related illness and excess winter deaths.

The objectives of the Fuel Poverty Strategy are to:• Help and persuade people to use less energy,

reducing the amount they spend on energy, by adopting a few simple measures

• Improve the fabric of dwellings to increase the internal temperature

• Help people to work out how to best maximise their household income and reduce costs.

• Increase the amount and proportion of energy generated from renewable and low carbon sources

• Make available additional services and funding throughout the winter to reduce excess deaths and morbidity due to cold homes

We will work with energy suppliers and others both to fund and to carry out the necessary activity to achieve these aims by 2020.

Supporting older people

There continues to be a strong preference for older people in the city to remain independent in their own home for longer, for homes that are flexible enough to take account of changing needs as people age, for more choice in relation to supported housing options, for a wider range of support services and improved housing information and advice services enabling older people to make an informed choice about their housing options.

Current support services for older people in the city include:• Housing related floating support for people over

the age of 55.• Housing related support in retirement villages

with care services (Extra Care) - In both of the above services support is tailored to meet individual needs and can include help to set up and maintain a home, ensuring access to benefits and budgeting advice, support to access health services, support to access activities to reduce isolation/loneliness and support to ensure that the home is safe and secure

• Home Improvement Agency (HIA) - The HIA provides a range of services including a handyperson service, repairs and maintenance advice, target hardening for victims of crime, a navigator service to reduce social isolation and hospital discharge support

• Community alarms/ assistive technology• Rough Sleepers Outreach support - the service

provides help and support to people who are sleeping rough within the boundaries of Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, with the ultimate aim of helping them to move off the streets with a view to finding and securing more permanent accommodation. There are low levels of numbers of older people rough sleeping (less than ten on an annual basis) but the service provides an important role to ensure that no- one spends a second night out on the streets in the city

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The Housing and Planning Act 2016 and Welfare ReformThe government is in the process of introducing several new housing and welfare policies that will require the council to make some changes to the way it manages the homes it owns. These include:

Housing and Planning Act 2016Letting the large majority of council homes on fixed term tenancies of between two and ten years (rather than secure ‘lifetime’ tenancies).

Future successions to secure tenancies, other than when a spouse or civil partner is succeeding, will usually result in the granting of a fixed term (rather than a secure) tenancy.

Forced sales of higher value council homes whereby the council will be required by government to sell ‘higher value’ (as yet to be defined) homes as they become vacant and to pay an amount (estimated to be the money the council would expect to raise through sales) to the Treasury. The intention is to use the receipts from these sales to fund the extension of the right to buy to housing association tenants.

Welfare reforms

The introduction of Universal Credit and Benefit Cap, a single monthly payment to people who receive a range of benefits (instead of several individual payments). This will require people to have a bank account and to be able to manage their money on a month-to-month basis. The benefit cap was introduced in April 2013 and limits the total benefit levels that a household can receive at £500/week for a couple and single parent households and £350/week for single adult households.

Spare Room Subsidy which, since April 2013 has limited the level of housing benefit available to council or housing association tenants who have one or more ‘spare’ bedrooms and are therefore deemed to be under occupying.

Housing benefit accommodation size limits: the level of housing benefit that a single person under the age of 35 living in private housing can claim is limited to the local housing allowance for a room in a shared house. Any households living in any tenure may not be eligible for full benefit to cover the whole rent if they have more bedrooms than they require.

Our response to these changes is to:• Undertake pre and post tenancy work with all

new council tenants. This includes assessment of eligibility and relative need for a council home

• Provide support to tenants to help them to sustain their tenancies through income advice and assisting people through the welfare reforms.

• Make sure all houses in multiple occupation are properly regulated in line with legislation and government guidelines

• Undertake periodic reviews of fixed term tenancies, at which we will provide information and advice about housing options and help tenants to plan ahead for the end of their tenancy term

• Make sure that new social housing that is built responds to current need and demand.

• Support those affected by increasing rents to access a range of suitable housing options

Our objective:To respond well to government requirements and make the most of government initiatives that relate to housing

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A FOCUS ON HOMES

Making new development viable and attractive

We know that the level of new house-building in the city has been at a low ebb since around 2001 but that has now changed. In 2014/15, the number of homes built was 65% higher than the average for the previous six years and there are other signs too that the market conditions have been improving.

In order to stimulate continued improvement and encourage development we are taking both a positive and proactive approach to planning applications and working with developers - to make sure that developers understand and are working with planning teams to ensure the right sort of development is in the right location - and a flexible approach taken to individual sites, anticipating the changes in the Housing and Planning Act.

The range of actions we are taking to improve development viability include:

Land price:We want to make sure that the places where we want development to happen are also viable and attractive from a development point of view. We will:• Package strategic sites – linking good quality

viable sites with more challenging ones – to bring sites forward through a single developer.

• Maximise government funding to support site assembly

• Invest in site remediation, where appropriate, in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP)

• Proactively work with developers through the pre-application service to speed up the planning application process for complex cases and provide developers with a greater level of certainty following the submission of a planning application

Our objectives:To make new housing development viable so that a range of new homes are built that are attractive and affordable to people whatever stage of life they are at

To respond well to government requirements and make the most of government initiatives that relate to housing

We are taking direct action, through a combination of measures and in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency, to make sure developers get a viable return on their investment in Stoke-on-Trent. We have listened to housing developers and we are now keen to forge relationships with developers, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SME developers), who are committed to Stoke-on-Trent’s long-term future.

We want to have a good dialogue with developers so that we can support viability in the most appropriate way on a site-by-site basis, and so that they agree to employ local people, create apprenticeships and draw on local supply chains.

The council is releasing its surplus land to facilitate and accelerate the delivery of housing and development. In addition, the council is actively investing in land assembly and improved infrastructure provision to support and facilitate delivery.

We are the first council to be awarded National Housing Business Ready status by the Housing and Finance Institute. By being approved as Housing Business Ready the city has proven that it performs strongly against key performance measures, has strong political leadership, has an appetite to do business and has strong commitment to housing growth.

Stoke-on-Trent is going from strength to strength in housing.

There is so much that Stoke has to offer. Stoke-on-Trent has made great progress and implemented big changes. With a strong platform for growth, it now needs to shout about its successes and what it will be doing next.

Natalie Elphicke OBEChief Executive, The Housing & Finance Institute

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Developer cash-flow:We want to make sure that developers feel free to develop rapidly, unconstrained by concerns around sales. We will:• Defer payment on sale of council land for housing

until completion of schemes / sale of homes• Facilitate dialogue between private developers

and registered providers to enable the provision of affordable housing

• Utilise available funding to support infrastructure and build costs to bring sites forward

• Continue to make low cost developer finance available for particular schemes, through the HCA’s loan funding programmes, to reduce the equity required to develop out those schemes

Increasing certainty:We appreciate that uncertainty can make things difficult for developers, so we will increase certainty through a range of options. We will:• Consider deals for buying homes developers build

in more marginal areas • Consider forming joint ventures with individual

developers to share risk and future profit• Support partnerships between private developers

and registered providers through which any required affordable housing can be delivered

• Consider borrowing money from the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) to invest in housing development

• Support take up of the government’s home ownership schemes including Starter Homes Initiative and Help to Buy

• Consider other ways the council might help people to access mortgage finance to enable them to purchase a home, especially where this can be combined with refurbishment of an existing essentially sound but poor condition dwelling

Renewing and improving housing markets:In some localities, direct action is required to upgrade the quality of existing homes, environments and management practices. We will:• Target some council-owned and managed

localities with programmes for improving both the dwellings and the residential environments

• Direct the large majority of new housing and other development to brownfield sites

• Consider applying our Empty Homes Acquisitions and Disposals programme on selected empty homes, to bring new investment and energy into some localities

• Consider selective demolition and rebuilding where this is considered the most appropriate solution to improving the locality and housing market

• Expand our action to improve private housing, especially empty homes and the private rented sector

We have established our own housing company, Fortior Homes, enabling the council to take a direct and flexible role in house building (including in partnership with private developers and housing associations). We plan to build high quality private rented accommodation in particular locations through the company as well as other types of housing to fill gaps in the market and improve developer confidence.

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Private Sector Homes

There are over 85,000 private homes in Stoke-on-Trent, making up three quarters of the total residences in the city. While the quality of both rented and owner occupied homes is improving, standards remain below the national average. What this means is that there are insufficient good quality options to attract people looking to rent or buy in order to settle in Stoke-on-Trent.

The private rented sector, which has grown significantly over the last 15 years, presents particular challenges. The sector is in relatively poor condition and, while some private landlords are professional, others need advice and support in order to do a good job. Too many landlords are absent or careless and there are still too many long-term empty private dwellings (in September 2016, 1,693 had been empty for more than six months). Vulnerable people rely to a greater extent on the private rented sector for accommodation, and shared living arrangements and houses in multiple occupation are becoming more common.

In some localities, the consequent management neglect, disrepair and sometimes dilapidation causes problems for the local community.

The empty homes team have brought 958 long term empty homes back into use. It is estimated that this has delivered circa £15million of revenue into the economy of Stoke-on-Trent; this is generated via rental income, council tax revenue, local land charges, debt and repairs that have been privately financed.

Central Government policy is likely to impact the private housing sector, particularly buy-to-let landlords. As of April 2017, the amount of Income Tax relief that private landlords can get on residential property finance costs will be restricted to the basic rate of tax. The finance costs that will be restricted include interest on mortgages, loans (including loans to buy furnishings) and overdrafts. Changes to stamp duty are also likely to have an adverse impact on private landlords and as of April 2016 homeowners with more than one property have to pay an additional 3% in stamp duty when buying additional homes.

Our objective:To improve the condition and liveability of existing homes and rental management practices in Stoke-on-Trent

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Private rented housing

Stoke-on-Trent City Council aims to support private landlords to operate to a high standard. We have had a Landlord Accreditation scheme for over ten years and this provides a means for dialogue between the council and the city’s engaged and conscientious landlords.

We license houses in multiple occupation in line with government requirements, and we also license private landlords in a few localities – namely Hanley, Fenton and Tunstall – through a Selective Licensing scheme, which helps to drive management and dwelling conditions up.

We have a bond scheme that enables eligible new tenants to settle the up-front costs of taking up a private tenancy – including the deposit and advance payment of the first month’s rent – and repaying this sum over a longer period. This helps to smooth the way for landlords to take tenants on low incomes or who are dependent on benefits.

The council’s Safe and Sound Homes (SASH) programme undertakes home visits in the selective licencing areas to all households who may be isolated and detached from services they could benefit from.

Our Tenancy Relations Officer mediates between private sector landlords and tenants where problems occur for vulnerable people living in the private rented sector, and provide advocacy with landlords where appropriate.

We are stepping up our efforts to improve the way the private rented sector operates by:• Undertaking a feasibility study into a private

landlords managing agent scheme, where management practices are not up to the required standard

• Increase our capacity to drive a more proactive approach to enforcement against poor landlords – including considering how best to employ new legal powers in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to tackle poor landlords who we know have committed particular housing offences

• Considering direct building of high quality new homes for private rent through our local housing company

Empty homes

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is working to deliver its Empty Homes Strategy 2014-2019 in order to bring more empty private sector homes back into use. We take actions on a case-by-case basis and the measures we bring to bear on owners include:

• Measures to encourage and persuade owners to bring their properties up to a decent standard and let them to tenants:• Offering no discount on Council Tax, so owners

of empty homes pay the full amount• Tracing owners using Council Tax data and a

specialist agency• Engaging owners, and aiming to initiate action

by providing information, advice and guidance• Providing low-cost loans (of up to £20,000) to

pay for works to properties on condition that they are let to tenants at an affordable rent for five years following completion of the works

• Encouraging use of managing agents to let the dwelling – including some registered providers

• Encourage new landlords to join the Landlord Accreditation Scheme

• Offer a small match funded grant to accredited landlords to bring their empty homes back into use

• Offer a free repair advice line to empty home owners to support empty home owners to bring the property up to a good quality standard.

• Measures to compel owners to take action when their empty home is having a detrimental impact on the environment and negative effect on the community living in the vicinity. If the owner does not respond to softer mechanisms, and particularly if there is a debt outstanding on the property, we will draw on the range of legal powers available to us in accordance with the city council’s Enforcement Policy. These include:• compulsory purchase orders to force change

of ownership• enforced sale for works done in default• enforced sale to recover council debt• legal notices to the owner to make the

property safe or to improve the external appearance of the property or to order repairs

• legal powers under the Housing Act 2004, following a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment

• other legal powers to compel owners to take appropriate action

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Council-owned and managed homes

The council has retained housing assets dispersed across the six towns. As of 31 March 2016 there were 18,541 homes for rent and 363 leaseholders. The majority of these are in good condition and there remains demand for low cost social housing.

The houses are predominantly two-bed and three-bed properties (98.6%), the majority of bungalows are one-bed (92.5%) and the apartments are substantially one-bed (28.8%) and two-bed (67.1%). There are small numbers of bedsit apartments and non-self-contained one-bed properties.

Stock profile

The stock as a whole has benefited from significant decent homes investment and our houses in particular, which account for approximately two thirds of properties, are generally regarded as being in a satisfactory condition. A pilot scheme has been undertaken to provide insulated cladding.

The stock includes over 3,500 bungalows and significant numbers of these have issues which include poor layout and space, poor access (up or down external stairs) and poor geographical location in relation to local amenities. A further pilot scheme to provide insulated cladding to bungalows at Fegg Hayes estate has been undertaken, which over time will be extended to all bungalows with UPVC cladding. In respect of high rise accommodation (8 – 12 storeys), of 16 blocks three are in satisfactory condition and a further three are undergoing refurbishment in 2016/17.

There are however, ten blocks of nine storeys of the same archetype that now require investment in the region of £1.5m per block. In respect of medium rise accommodation, Matthews Walk is being refurbished and 31 blocks of six flats have been refurbished, including new landscaping and parking.

Currently there are 212 units of sheltered accommodation across seven schemes. Whilst one of these is undergoing refurbishment, a further two schemes have undergone option appraisals and the remaining four schemes await them. To complement the existing accommodation, there are three new Extra Care schemes under development through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Overall we have decent homes and a sound housing revenue account business plan, but with some difficult assets. Through a programme of surveys and option appraisals, the council are reviewing these and have initiated pilot schemes and projects to address them. These include:• High rise property surveys and costed work plans• Commercial property surveys and investment

plans• Sheltered housing option appraisals• Structural and viability reviews of maisonettes• Pilot projects on estate environmental

improvements• Pilot programmes for the replacement of UPVC

cladding on bungalows, tile and timber cladding to properties generally and cross-wall cladding with new insulated cladding

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TO&

OUR HOUSING GROWTH AMBITIONS

Stoke-on-Trent is in the midst of resurgence - the fourth fastest growing economy of any local authority in England, backed up by an investment programme that is rapidly changing the face of the city.

This ambition has been crystallised in our stated aim to become a Core City, an ambition secured as the primary target in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Strategic Economic Plan. The city is at the heart of The Northern Gateway – the new economic driver for Staffordshire and Cheshire - with Stoke-on-Trent currently benefiting from rapid connectivity to London, Birmingham and Manchester. This will be further enhanced by HS2 connectivity.

Government’s recognition of our ambition is evidenced by its recent decisions to give ministerial-level backing to The Northern Gateway’s ambitious Growth Strategy and its designation of the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone. The city has also been granted Housing Zone status, has been assessed by the Housing and Finance Institute (HFI) and has been approved as Housing Business Ready.

The city has proven that it performs strongly against key performance measures, has a strong political and officer team, has shown commitment to the housing agenda and has an appetite to do business.

It’s a great start, but we need to do more. Improving the economic well-being of the 13th largest city conurbation in the UK to increase the wealth needed to attract new businesses and residents, and to fund support for our most vulnerable citizens, represents arguably the city’s greatest challenge.

We need to expand our economy still further and continue the revitalisation of the city. These objectives form a crucial element of the council’s corporate strategy, “Stronger Together,” a strategy designed to lead the city on a journey to the economic independence needed to best serve all its stakeholders.

We have identified a range of strategic objectives to deliver against Stronger Together, a cornerstone of which is to significantly strengthen economic and housing growth in the city and connect local people to that growth. In doing so it aims to grow the city at a pace and scale which it has not historically been able to achieve.

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Housing growth is at the heart of the city’s journey to economic independence. A larger, stronger population allied to the potential to secure permanent jobs directly from new housebuilding is key to transforming the city.

Housebuilding rates are beginning to improve after a long period of suppression, reflecting national and local economic conditions - the city has shown it can deliver growth and secure the investment needed to catalyse and maintain that growth. Doing what we have always done, only better, will not be sufficient to drive housing growth rates to a level that will shift the city to a position where economic independence is a viable target. To secure the levels of housing growth required, the city is thinking about growth differently. It is working to develop as an alternative hub for activity and growth to Manchester and Birmingham, whilst also better connecting with those two cities to benefit from their economic influence. It is focusing on market-making – creating the conditions that attract new consumers, identifying development locations where there is real demand and where development is viable and deliverable, including identifying higher value locations in the city and using strategically targeted public investment (including acting as a developer in its own right in particular target locations) as a catalyst to which developers and investors will respond.

This requires an approach that will both embrace the ‘brownfield first’ agenda and challenge it, where necessary, in order to develop a balanced portfolio of development areas and sites at a scale capable of delivering against the city’s growth agenda. This approach is rooted in securing jobs growth that can be driven by high quality, high demand housing built to the right standards in attractive, sustainable locations. The NGDZ Growth Strategy is rooted in the same pioneering principles of radical new approaches to securing growth at levels not seen before.

This includes using the developing transport connections which will make the city a good place from which to commute to Birmingham and Manchester – creating housing demand by attracting the spending power of the larger cities and retaining and attracting talented and qualified people. Housebuilding at scale, targeting these groups of people, will generate significant employment growth driven by that spend.

The city will also make its distinct identity an asset - those characteristics of the city that may have slowed its growth in the past will now be used to its advantage to develop a highly distinctive and competitive offer to new residents and a new demographic attracted to a city where it is still possible to be ‘in at the start’. We will market the city to new customer demographics seeking an alternative offer than that offered by neighbouring towns and cities - we will actively target those who seek an ‘urban’, city-based offer, the artisans and artists, the city-centre dwellers and the young entrepreneurs. Similarly we will harness our green energy offer to both improve the sustainability of our housing stock and to drive demand from those demographics particularly attracted to that offer.

Those seeking an aspirational, low cost, sustainable, competitively connected city-base or a unique housing offer focusing on quality design, custom build or artfully converted space in world-class heritage buildings will find it here in Stoke-on-Trent. We are developing this offer across our city, with an initial focus on town centres and the city centre, with the University Quarter connecting the town centre to Stoke-on-Trent railway station and Spode being particularly well-placed to drive this ambition.

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The council is already moving forward to deliver ambitious housing growth. The council secured Housing Zone status as one of only 20 pioneer authorities outside of London. This enables the council to work proactively with developers and on its own initiatives to reduce the risks associated with building and therefore drive activity and focus on construction outcomes.

The programme is already having an impact with developers on site, with a pipeline of schemes to deliver in the region of 1,200 new homes on stalled sites across the city centre core and its periphery. Delivery of these highly visible sites will provide a step change in development activity whilst serving to further enhance the local housing offer.

The council has established a wholly owned housing company, Fortior Homes, which will put us in a position to influence both the quantum and quality of housing delivered in the city, to set a standard for place making and create an income generating vehicle for the council. The council has already agreed to provide Fortior Homes with £55 million to deliver new homes – either new build or by bringing homes back into use.

There are certain gaps in housing provision within the city and Fortior Homes will allow the council to stimulate, partner and on occasion lead, the market in those sectors. Using this company the council will work closely with the Homes and Communities Agency, developers, financial institutions and housing providers to deliver housing growth across the city of the right type, tenure and in the right location.

The Government’s Starter Homes initiative provides a perfect fit for the city. A successful programme will accelerate delivery of housing growth in the city, attract equity investment and enable positive publicity to raise the profile of the city. We have, therefore, prepared a strong bid to the government’s ‘Starter Homes - Unlocking the Land’ fund opportunity. This has the potential to deliver approximately 880 homes across ten sites in the city.

Custom build is integral to our housing growth agenda and the council has been awarded the status of a ‘Custom Build’ Vanguard local authority by Government. The city recognises that custom build can make a strong impact on economic growth by attracting higher income earners and a significant contribution to the quality of new homes built.

Having successfully delivered the first custom build site in the city, the council is currently progressing the next three sites to planning permission, before marketing them in early 2017. This next phase will deliver circa 50 homes and is looking to deliver a range of approaches to custom build including shovel ready plots, straight forward site disposal and bespoke design homes delivered through a development partner.

The council’s highly acclaimed Empty Homes Acquisition and Disposals programme provided an innovative solution for bringing homes back into use. The cost-effective scheme has not only enabled hard-working people on modest salaries to buy homes they would not otherwise be able to afford, it has helped to regenerate a run-down part of the city, added a sense of community for residents and helped to tackle social issues. The council is working on a second phase of this innovative scheme.

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The council is aiming to use a mix of funding initiatives to regenerate the city. This will include utilising Public Works Loan Board borrowing, institutional investors, developers, Homes and Communities Agency funding and hopefully regeneration funding via the project driven by Lord Heseltine. In addition, the council is utilising its asset base and using land as part of the funding solution. To assist with this process, the council has formed a Strategic Asset Board to review its land assets and determine the best use for each asset moving forward.

The aim of the city’s Housing Strategy 2017 – 2022 is therefore to drive the growth we have identified as being crucial to our future whilst enhancing Stoke-on-Trent’s housing offer so that a much wider demographic (including people at all stages of life) can find the distinctive, quality home that matches their aspirations.

In doing so it will help secure delivery of housing development at a pace and scale in line with the NGDZ target of 100,000 new homes by 2040, with the presumption that a significant proportion will be built in the city. By doing so it will make a major contribution to:• driving city revenues (including Council Tax and

New Homes Bonus) in line with the city’s stated aim of working towards economic independence

• creating a distinctive identity for the city that can help drive demand, values and thus further high quality, sustainable growth

• the development of Stoke-on-Trent as a new Core City

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