Former Johnson Matthey, Whittle Rd, Meir (NLP Ref: ST1) BARRIERS TO DELIVERY: GROSS SITE AREA: 8.62 ha Lack of market interest ESTIMATED NET DEVELOPABLE AREA: 8.19 ha This 8.6 ha site has a prominent frontage onto the A50 (the Uttoxeter Road), and to the east it borders the Meir Park Industrial Estate, while it is flanked by housing to the south and west. The site used to accommodate Johnson Matthey’s main UK factory, but this closed in 2002 and the site has not been used since. Nothing remains of the site’s former buildings and it now suffers from fly tipping and litter issues. However, the site has been identified as suitable for B1, B2 and B8 uses. In 2010 IDI Gazeley obtained detailed consent to redevelop the site in order to provide a distribution scheme amounting to 42,920 sqm1 and the site is being actively marketed. The site has adequate access to labour and there are nearby amenities/services. In addition, within 400m of the site are numerous bus stops, albeit many of these are located in the nearby residential areas. OVERALL SITE GRADE: Good SITE RECOMMENDATION: Retain for employment use 1 As per application ref: 48907/FUL 9932770v7 Meir Depot, Uttoxeter Road, Meir - CFS 21 (NLP Ref: ST2) BARRIERS TO DELIVERY: GROSS SITE AREA: 1.76 ha Lack of market interest/poor access onto the A50 ESTIMATED NET DEVELOPABLE AREA: 1.67 ha This brownfield site (1.7ha) is located on the northern side of the A50 (the Uttoxeter Road), opposite the former Johnson Matthey factory site, and is included in this assessment as it was a call for sites submission. The surrounding area is mixed in terms of use. The site is near to the Meir Industrial Estate and several buildings on its eastern border are used by Copeland's Tours, a coach hire firm. To the north, the site is flanked by a railway line, beyond which there is housing. The site features several structures associated with what remains of the Meir Waterworks, but otherwise it is vacant and overgrown. However, no development or environmental constraints were identified and the site has reasonable access to public transport, labour and services/amenities. As it fronts onto the A50 it has very good access to the strategic road network, although if this site were to come forward for employment uses, the site access will need to be improved significantly. OVERALL SITE GRADE: Average SITE RECOMMENDATION: Consider for employment use 9932770v7 Wedgwood Estate, Barlaston (NLP Ref: ST3) BARRIERS TO DELIVERY: GROSS SITE AREA: 27.99 ha N/A (Currently being redeveloped) ESTIMATED NET DEVELOPABLE AREA: 0 ha This site is situated within the Green Belt, in attractive open countryside on the southern edge of Stoke. Barlaston Hall (Grade I listed) and St John the Baptist’s Church (Grade II) dominate the landscape and look down over the Wedgwood Estate. The site can be accessed either from the east or west along Wedgwood Drive. Access from the east is restricted as this involves crossing both the West coast mainline (level crossing) and the Trent and Mersey Canal (small bridge). In addition, the complex is a major tourist attraction with more than 175,000 visitors a year, and given these numbers at certain times it seems likely that the access roads may become particularly congested. When the site inspection occurred, work was being progressed on the redevelopment of the complex. The committee report in respect of this2 informs that: a) the redevelopment will include a new 33,430 sqm manufacturing complex (B2), 7,800 sqm as a headquarters (B1 offices), and an enhanced visitor experience amounting to 12,280 sqm; and b) the application site itself relates to approximately 28.5ha comprising the 16.9ha factory site and 11.6ha of greenfield land split across two separate parcels; one 5ha parcel to the north of the factory site and one 6.1ha parcel to the east. Despite its rural location there are numerous bus stops within 400m of the site and, given the scale of this tourist attraction, it is felt to have an adequate access to a range of services/amenities. However, the site has poor access to the strategic road network – the A34 is approximately 2.5km away and is accessed via a residential area. OVERALL SITE GRADE: Average SITE RECOMMENDATION: Retain for employment use 2 Application Ref: 55286 9932770v7 Staffordshire House/Fenton 25 (NLP Ref: ST4) BARRIERS TO DELIVERY: GROSS SITE AREA: 11.71 ha Lack of market interest ESTIMATED NET DEVELOPABLE AREA: 8.10 ha This brownfield site amounts to 11.7ha and is located on Fenton Industrial Estate which largely comprises workshops and warehousing. In 2007 part full, part outline permission was granted to provide a mixed industrial/warehouse development (use class B2/B8)3 here and an element of this proposal was subsequently developed out, as we understand in 2008, in the form of Fenton Trade Park. Fenton Trade Park occupies a plot on the southern part of the site, which according to our calculation amounts to 1.93ha. It comprises twenty-two high quality industrial/warehouse units ranging in size from 213m2 to 670m2, none of which were vacant when the assessment occurred. The remainder of the site (some 9.77ha) appears to have probably been cleared when Fenton Trade Park was constructed and has seemingly been on the market since then. When the site was visited a marketing board was noted informing that the plot is suitable for manufacturing, storage and distribution which will be developed to occupier requirements. On the face of it, given that this plot has now remained undeveloped for at least 7 years, there appears to be little market interest in such a scheme. However, should this materialise, (as the 2007 permission has partially been implemented and therefore is still in place) this development could be progressed relatively quickly. No development or environmental constraints relating to either Fenton Trade Park or this plot were identified. The site is accessed from Dewsbury Road, the main spine road for Fenton Industrial Estate, implying that it has very good access to the strategic road network. Within 400m of the site there are 7 bus stops and it has adequate access to labour. However, it is poorly serviced in terms of local amenities and services. OVERALL SITE GRADE: Good SITE RECOMMENDATION: Retain for employment use 3 As per planning permission ref: 46496 9932770v7 Cliffe Vale/Caradon Twyfords Excelsior Wks/Former Slimma (NLP Ref: ST5) BARRIERS TO DELIVERY: GROSS SITE AREA: 17.65 ha Excelsior Works and the derelict Twyfords factory ESTIMATED NET DEVELOPABLE AREA: 11.77 ha have very little market appeal. Part of the site is in Flood Zone 3. Bounded by Etruria Road (the A53) to the north, Garner Street to the west, Shelton New Road (the B5045) and Cliff Vale Place to the south, and by Etruscan Street to the east, this is a long standing employment area that comprises land on both the west and east sides of the mainline. Amounting to 17.65ha, the site mainly consists of B2 and B8 accommodation. Some of this stock is in use, some appears to be underutilised, and some is clearly disused and derelict. The surrounding area contains a wide mix of uses, with housing bordering the site on Etruscan Street. To the west of the railway line, most of the site consists of a parcel of land that formerly accommodated the Armitage Shanks earthenware factory (Excelsior Works) and the large, now derelict, former Twyfords fireclay factory, which fronts onto Garner Street. Excelsior Works primarily fronts onto Cliff Vale Place and, other than a warehouse which is understood to be currently in use by EasyCorp UK for storage purposes (B8), it now predominantly comprises an extensive area of hardstanding. The site’s western flank onto Garner Street is dominated by the Twyfords factory building. However, several warehouse units and an associated yard, immediately to the north of this, are used by Earthmover Tyres. Beyond this, there is a parcel of land that comprises an area of open storage and a series of warehouses (known as the old Slimma buildings), which further to obtaining approval for a change of use to B2 is now understood to be used for manufacturing purposes by Olympus Engineering4. To the south of the Twyfords factory, and also fronting onto Garner Street, there is a plot comprising a warehouse and associated yard that is used by Emery’s, a timber and builders merchant. To the east of the mainline, the site predominantly consists of a large warehouse dating from the 1990s that is used by FC Chambers, another timber merchant. According to VOA data this amounts to 20,654 sqm. This site’s constraints mostly relate to the undeveloped land at Excelsior Works and the Twyfords derelict factory, which are considered to have limited market appeal. The fact that c.3.3ha of the western part of the site is in flood zone 3 will erode this interest even further. More generally, the site is also constrained by the fact that there are no nearby amenities or services. Conversely, the site has adequate access to labour and the undeveloped land at Excelsior Works is considered to have potential for accommodating a siding for rail freight purposes. In addition, there are numerous bus stops within 4 As per planning permission ref: 54320/FUL 9932770v7 400m of the site and the strategic road network is very nearby, although this is onto the A500 between Stoke’s city centre and Etruria, which can experience high levels of congestion at peak times.