New regeneration boss must focus on reviving all six towns.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has announced (Sentinel 9th June) that it is looking to hire a regeneration and development manger for Hanley, the salary for this post could be up to £50,229.

The remit of the post will include working on projects including redeveloping the former bus station site, competing the ring road and encouraging more residential development in the town centre.

The new officer will also be tasked with 'refreshing' city centre development, something that has been beset with costly problems over the past couple of years.

North Staffs Green Party welcomes the intention of the council to reinvigorate the development of Hanley town centre, however it does so with some caution.

Firm management is needed to bring moribund projects such as redeveloping the former bus station to fruition, the party though questions the narrowness of the role's remit.

A spokesperson said, ' anyone appointed to such a senior role should be tasked with looking critically at the redevelopment and regeneration of all six towns.'

Adding that whilst the party recognised the 'importance of Hanley to the local economy as the city's main commercial centre' effective regeneration depended on 'all six towns being lifted up together.'

North Staffs Green Party believes that in order for everyone to benefit from regeneration there needs to be more of an emphasis on building social housing and bringing a greater diversity of businesses onto the high streets of towns like Stoke and Fenton that feel, with some justification, that they have been 'forgotten.'

Party Campaign Coordinator Adam Colclough said ' We will be looking closely at the proposals for regenerating all six towns put forward by the council and asking searching questions about, for example, the number of affordable homes included in any new residential developments.'

The Green Party, he said, 'backed the regeneration of all six towns' and wanted to see it 'carried forward in a way that builds communities where people want to live, work and put down roots for the long term; that can only be achieved if the process involves every community.'

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