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| City of Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan | |
|---|---|
| Name | City of Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan |
| Jurisdiction | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Adopted | 2014 (local plan process revisions ongoing) |
| Authority | Stoke-on-Trent City Council |
| Region | Staffordshire |
| Country | England |
| Subject | Urban planning, land use |
City of Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan The City of Stoke-on-Trent Local Plan is the statutory land use framework prepared by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to guide development across Stoke-on-Trent within Staffordshire and the West Midlands. It sets spatial priorities, land allocations, strategic objectives and development management policies to align planning decisions with national legislation including the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Localism Act 2011. The plan interacts with neighboring authorities such as Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands, Derbyshire Dales, and regional strategies influenced by Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The Local Plan originates from statutory duties established by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and subsequent reforms like the National Planning Policy Framework. It replaces earlier policy documents such as the Stoke-on-Trent Core Strategy and aligns with strategic priorities expressed in documents from Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Homes England, and the Environment Agency. Purposeful aims include balancing regeneration in the Potteries conurbation, managing allocations within the Trent corridor, and coordinating infrastructure investment with bodies including Network Rail, Highways England, and Staffordshire County Council.
Preparation followed statutory stages: issues and options consultation, preferred options, publication, submission, examination and adoption by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in tandem with an independent inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. The process engaged national policy tests under the National Planning Policy Framework and housing requirement determinations influenced by the Office for National Statistics population projections and the strategic housing market assessment undertaken with partners like Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council. Legal challenges and sustainability appraisals referenced the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 and strategic flood risk assessment coordinated with the Environment Agency.
The spatial strategy concentrates urban regeneration within central Stoke, the Hanley city centre, and key employment locations such as the Etruria Valley and Renaissance sites, while directing growth away from constrained locations like the Churnet Valley and floodplain of the River Trent. Land use policies delineate mixed-use allocations, safeguarded employment land for firms including agents from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Benevolent Fund partnerships, and town centre first approaches referencing Hanley Shopping Centre and the Intu Potteries context. Transport-oriented development coordinates with nodes such as Longton railway station, Stoke-on-Trent railway station, and strategic road links including the A500 road and M6 motorway.
Housing policies set targets for market, affordable and specialist housing to meet needs identified in strategic housing market assessments and in collaboration with Homes England and housing associations like Trent and Dove Housing. Infrastructure planning secures contributions through mechanisms informed by the Community Infrastructure Levy and developer contributions consistent with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Economic development sections promote clusters in advanced manufacturing, ceramics heritage industries tied to Royal Doulton and Staffordshire Potteries, logistics on sites adjacent to Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival legacy areas, and employment floorspace delivery monitored against investment from bodies including the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
The Local Plan protects designated sites and biodiversity networks including local sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest such as Cannock Chase, and river corridors along the River Trent and River Sow. It implements policies on green infrastructure, air quality management areas overseen with Public Health England guidance, and flood risk measures coordinated with the Environment Agency and Natural England. Green Belt considerations reference boundaries shared with Newcastle-under-Lyme and policies to prevent inappropriate development while supporting brownfield regeneration within former pottery and industrial areas associated with Middleport Pottery and other heritage assets.
Implementation relies on the council’s monitoring framework, housing trajectory data supplied by the Office for National Statistics and Land Registry, and employment land monitoring coordinated with the Local Enterprise Partnership. Regular reviews respond to national policy changes from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and evidence updates including Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments and Sustainability Appraisals. Delivery mechanisms involve partnership working with agencies such as Homes England, Network Rail, and Highways England for major infrastructure, and use of compulsory purchase powers where necessary under the Local Government Act 1972 and associated statutory instruments.
Consultation stages involved residents, parish and town councils such as Blythe Bridge, civic organisations, heritage bodies including Historic England, business representatives, education institutions like Staffordshire University, and health partners such as NHS England. Methods included public exhibitions at venues like Stoke-on-Trent City Centre libraries, stakeholder workshops with chambers including the Federation of Small Businesses, and statutory consultation notices to bodies such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, and the Planning Inspectorate.