Mandate for change
Tour Guide 23 January 2013 This page:
Top left image: New Science and Technology Building, UniQ
Centre image: Cobridge Health Centre
Most Improved Council
It’s quite a claim to suggest we are the most improved council in the country, but we believe we have a lot of evidence to show that is just what we are.
We started from a low base: in 2009 we were just about bottom quartile across every performance indicator. We were in the middle of Government intervention, had a really low rate of customer satisfaction and the city had recently been voted the worst place to live.
So it is hardly surprising that Stoke-on-Trent City Council – its members and its staff – felt we had a long way to go to create a vibrant city that our residents could be proud of and make the organisation one where our staff were happy to work.
Three years ago our improvement journey began with a new Chief Executive and a new momentum – we were all determined to turn things around.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing - we have been hit with a few curve balls along the way, mainly in the form of significant cuts to our funding, currently £56m with similar amounts set to follow over the next two years.
Despite this things are improving. We are in a strong financial position with a vote of confidence from our external auditors and our transformation is mapped out in our Mandate for Change. With strong leadership and strategic direction for the organisation, employees have embraced new ways of working and perhaps most significantly they are also are visibly committed to improving Stoke-on-Trent, the place and its people. The stable political administration has helped us to progress quickly and is driving forward the bid to maximise the city’s potential by creating jobs and growth. This page:
Top left image: West End Village, one of our Extra Care Homes
Bottom right image One of the classrooms at Omiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy, part of our BSF programme
Stoke-on-Trent: Capital of Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent is changing. A city that has always enjoyed a fantastic location is developing fast – a city where house builders want to develop, home buyers want to live and developers want to invest in the high quality facilities our residents demand and deserve. Here’s a flavour of what’s happening and what is planned, as we deliver the transformation of this great city.
The story we will tell you today shows you just how far we have come, whilst acknowledging the programme of continuous improvement needed to make Stoke-on-Trent a great working city and engage our communities in this mission.
Mandate for Change clearly sets out our priorities for the four years from 2011 to 2015 and today we aim to show you the significant steps we have made in delivering them.
The priorities outlined in this transformation to make ours “a great working city” are: • Making Stoke-on-Trent the place to bring business • Supporting and developing existing business • Working with people to promote independence and healthy lives • Making Stoke-on-Trent a great place to live and • Developing an effective and confident council.
Throughout today we want to demonstrate to you that we are delivering on these pledges and hope you will agree too that our journey has been one of significant improvement in the past few years. One way we will do this is to take you on a tour to see how the city is changing. This booklet gives you an outline of the journey you will make. Rail line to Manchester
A50 A527
Tunstall
A53 Burslem
City 2,3,4 Centre (Hanley)
1 5 6
Stoke Fenton 7
Longton 8 A50 9 8 M6 North 8 A500
15 A34 8 Rail line to Derby
A520
To the M1 M6 South
Rail line to Birmingham
© Crown Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Stoke-on-Trent City Council 10002428.
4. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Projects you will see
Ref Project Page Number
1 YMCA 6
2 Central Business District 8
3 Bus Station 9
4 City Sentral 10
5 City Waterside 11
6 UniQ 14
7 West End Village and Extra Care Housing PFI 19
Building Schools for the Future - Reach Pupil Referral Unit, 8 St Joseph’s College Edmund Rice Academy Trust, 21 St Thomas More Catholic College and Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy
9 CoRE (Centre of Refurbishment Excellence) 28
10 Our Achievements 30
Outline Itinerary
11:30 Depart Civic Centre for tour of the city featuring key transformation projects
12:15 Arrive at Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy (OSSMA)
13.30 Arrive at CoRE (Centre of Refurbishment Excellence)
14:30 Arrive back at Civic Centre
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 5. 1 YMCA North Staffordshire
• Funded by Government, the Big Lottery Fund and the city council, the new YMCA complex is one of North Staffordshire’s most energetic social enterprises, and one of its key third sector employers. • The city council was instrumental in helping develop its new Youth Campus which is made up of 36 flats and a separate activity centre, providing learning and sports facilities along with new independent living apartments for those ready to move on from hostel accommodation. • YMCA North Staffordshire is giving young people the opportunity to be the best they can be, by providing more than accommodation. It’s about youth development and broadening the experiences of young people in a friendly environment. • The facilities are open to the public with the aim of making the YMCA a hub for the community.
6. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 City Centre - including Central Business District, 2,3,4 Bus Station and City Sentral
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 7. Central Business District
• The city council’s ambition to create a great working city is exemplified in its plans to create a new central business district in the heart of the city centre. • Work is under way to create two new council office blocks which will form part of the wider business district to demonstrate confidence and encourage further investment in the city. • Funded by the sale of land and assets, the new offices are just part of what will become a bustling area featuring 750,000 square metres of offices, along with hotels, retail and leisure attracting in excess of 4,000 jobs to the city – a much needed boost to help link with the area’s universities. • The council has appointed a development partner, Genr8 Developments. It is anticipated that the development will be worth £62m a year to the local economy. and the development is expected to increase the value of North Staffordshire’s economy. • The council will also reduce its operating costs and improve customer service through an asset rationalization plan and new customer access strategy. • Site works are already under way and the first buildings are programmed to be ready for occupation by Spring 2015. • The marketing launch of the site will take place in Summer 2013 and discussions are already underway with companies interested in taking space in subsequent phases of the scheme.
Image: Artist impression of Central Business District
8. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 City Centre Bus Station
• The new City Centre bus station, which is due to open soon designed by award winning signature architects Grimshaw to be an important arrival point to the city centre and enhance the public transport infrastructure • The iconic design provides an exciting and unique image to help re-define Stoke-on- Trent and encourage more people to travel to the city centre by public transport. • The 22 stand new bus station will provide new staff facilities in John Street, a welcoming, enclosed new concourse and passenger waiting area, public information kiosk and passenger facilities • The whole area is surrounded by improved public realm. • A new car parking strategy and promotion of public transport will also support the station’s opening to help reduce the impact of traffic on the improved city centre.
Images: Artist impression of the new City Centre Bus Station
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 9. City Sentral
• City Sentral is one of the most important retail and leisure projects in the UK development pipeline. A new shopping centre at the heart of the transformation of Stoke-on-Trent, as a dynamic, ambitious 21st century city, proud of its past, but embracing its new future with enthusiasm. • The completion of the bus station and the plans for the new central business district have unlocked the potential for the new retail centre. • The £350m private sector led redevelopment aims to transform this prominent city centre site into a premier regional shopping destination. • The City Sentral scheme is being delivered by developer Realis Estates, designed by award winning architects Benoy and includes a wide range of new stores, cafes, restaurants, vibrant public spaces, a multi-screen cinema, a hotel and much improved parking facilities.
Image: Artist impression of City Sentral
10. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 5 City Waterside
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 11. • City Waterside is our new outlook to city living and represents a multi-agency approach to a pioneering urban development in this area which had significant land assembly issues. • The area exploits the natural leisure and recreational opportunities afforded by the Caldon Canal. • The regeneration scheme draws on the area’s heritage and aims to create a vibrant community in an expanded neighbourhood where people want to live work and spend their leisure time. • £100m of public sector regeneration investment has seen the removal of over 800 empty, unpopular and unfit dwellings which have already been replaced with more than 400 of the 1750 planned new homes. • Negotiations with developers continue and planning approval has been granted for Goodwin International plc to expand their engineering operations and training facilities on the Eagle Pottery site (Jubilee Project). • The City Waterside neighbourhood has further enormous potential with the boundary to the area enclosing 67 hectares of land immediately southeast of the city centre. • The area was formerly characterised by industrial activities associated with pottery manufacture. • The area is well serviced by the road network and benefits from access to the Caldon Canal which acts as an artery linking the busy Trent and Mersey Canal at Etruria to the west through the neighbourhood and on towards Froghall 17 miles away in the Peak District to the east. • Again the area has benefited from enhanced public realm and improved transport links. • In addition the Bridgewater Pottery site on Lichfield Street was purchased early in the programme to secure local employment opportunities. • The future programme aims to use the council’s significant land holdings to direct the nature and variety of development. Private landowners are also able to access assistance from the Homes and Community Agency when they are willing to work in partnership to achieve high quality space and design standards.
12. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Programme and Project Details Waterside Primary School, Eastwood Road - Opened in 2008 on a former Imperial Pottery site.
Spine Road - bisecting east to west some parts constructed and final completion linked to planning requirements for new developments.
Substantial public realm enhancements include upgraded canal towpath, street lighting, and pavements. There are also hard landscaping projects completed on Lichfield Street and Bucknall New Road.
Hanley Pottery, ‘Amphora’- 71 homes now completed and sold by Keepmoat.
Eagle Pottery, ‘Waters Edge’ - 160 dwellings now completed and sold by Redrow Homes.
Trent Bathrooms, ‘Wedgwood Gardens’ and ‘Johnson’s Wharf - 136 dwellings now completed by Ben Bailey - Gladedale with a further approval for 241 homes.
Ridgeway Road, ‘Caldon Quay’- Lovell are currently constructing 91 new homes.
Balfour Street, City Council heritage refurbishment scheme on site creating eight large two-into-one homes.
What’s next? Canal Quarter - exiting new concepts in discussion with the owners of Bridgewater Pottery for business expansion and an enhanced visitor attraction, coupled with new high quality housing development north and south of the Caldon Canal.
Tullis Russell – a planning application has been submitted by owners Seddon Inspired for residential development of 62 family homes.
We have been marketing of the Dresden Street, Bucknall New Road and Ludlow Street housing areas for new housing commenced at the Build it, Buy it, Live it, Love it summit event. The appointment of preferred developers through a competitive process will see the planned release of new homes on these sites in 2014.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 13. 6 University Quarter
14. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 • The regeneration of UniQ will create a nationally and internationally recognised centre for education in North Staffordshire. • Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent College, The City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College, and Stoke-on-Trent City Council are working together to develop an integrated educational offer and estate, with new build and refurbished facilities. • Visually, UniQ will be a stunning centrepiece for education and will create a vibrant business and learning community focal point. • UniQ is designed to significantly raise the attainment of higher level skills and qualifications in the city, making the city a more attractive and competitive location for inward investment. • With plans to increase the existing 25,000 students and increased investor confidence as new and improved educational facilities are delivered, there remains significant opportunity in the UniQ for the city to capitalize upon this to bring forward various commercial development and infrastructure opportunities, including improved transport, housing, and public spaces. This will create a vibrant, safe and attractive environment that provides opportunity, investment, and better quality of life for all those living, studying, and working in the UniQ. • More than £110m has already been committed to the regeneration of the University Quarter over the last four years, the key projects being:
The new Stoke-on-Trent College £11m lifestyle building was opened to 600 health and social care students, staff and the public in 2009. The college plan to continue to remodel its Cauldon campus site, enhancing its setting adjoining Hanley Park, and invest in shared facilities with UniQ Partners.
The new £33m Sixth Form College building – opened in 2010 to 2,000 staff and students and will broaden the outlook, understanding and optimism of young adults.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 15. Staffordshire University’s £30m Science Centre – Opened in September 2012, it is destined to create the region’s next generation of forensic scientists, medical device engineers and renewable energy pace-setters.
What next?
£20m St Peter’s Academy on the former Sixth Form College site – the Academy will open September 2013 and will be the home of 1,200 new students.
Staffordshire University’s campus landscaping and estate remodeling – will deliver £13.6m of improvements to the campus, including £5m of campus landscape improvements. Works are ongoing and will be complete by end of 2013.
Stoke College’s £4m Sports Centre – works have commenced on providing a sports hall, fitness suite and aerobics facilities. Being located on the city council’s former park depot site, the centre will add considerable value to the ongoing regeneration of Hanley Park.
16. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Regeneration of Hanley Park – £420k of Heritage Lottery Funding has been secured towards the £5.8m restoration of heritage buildings and structures in the park. It is a partnership based project with Stoke- on-Trent College and Staffordshire University to create a sustainable park, enabling the park to regain its role as an important city park with a range of facilities, activities, and events. Station Gateway – linkages between the city centre and Stoke-on-Trent railway station will be strengthened with improvements to public spaces, public transport and traffic flows, redevelopment of adjoining vacant sites and reuse of heritage buildings. Construction works involving traffic management measures are due to commence shortly.
Fenton Manor Leisure Development Staffordshire University sites
– there is growing market interest Sixth Form College in developing the former Fenton Stoke College Proposed site for Manor Marl Quarry site as a leisure St Peter’s Academy University Quarter Boundary development opportunity.
The leisure opportunity for this and other development opportunity sites, including Stoke Links, has been strengthened by the government Fenton Marl Hole announcement of investment in Moorland and City Railway’s proposals for re-opening the ‘moth-balled’ line from Stoke to Staffordshire Moorlands, including Alton Towers.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 17. Stoke Links – this is one of Stoke- on-Trent’s most visible strategic development sites adjacent to the mainline railway station. It
has potential for station retail, Stoke Links office, education, and tourism and leisure uses, linked with planned Spode Works growth of the University, the leisure development at Fenton Manor, and re-connection of the ‘moth-balled’ rail link from Stoke to Staffordshire Moorlands. Image: Learning pod at Sixth Form College
18. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 7 West End Village and Extra Care Housing PFI
Staffordshire Housing Association’s West End Village is an older people’s housing scheme situated in the regeneration area of Stoke town, Stoke-on-Trent. Completed in January 2011, it comprises of 100 mixed-tenure apartments and a variety of communal facilities.
As well as being an excellently designed example of an older persons’ housing village, and a significant catalyst for regeneration in a declining town, West End Village is unique in the relationship it has with the local community and with Staffordshire Housing Association itself.
Built at the same time as, and physically adjoining Staffordshire Housing Association’s new headquarters, the village shares many of its facilities with the association, its staff and customers, and the local community.
Facilities run by local business owners at the village include: • Restaurant • Coffee bar and bar • Gym • General store • Hairdressing salon • Therapy room • Community room
The £18 million village has been funded by the Home and Communities Agency (HCA), Stoke-on-Trent City Council, RENEW North Staffordshire, the Association itself and the Carbon Trust.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 19. Extra Care Housing Private Finance Initiative (PFI)
• New extra care homes have been created or are in the process of being developed across the city to help cater for the growing demand from our ageing population. • The objective of the new developments is to provide a modern, flexible housing solution that offers fully flexible apartments and takes maximum advantage of service innovation and technologies to ensure a ‘lifetime of modern living’. • Extra care housing allows for independent living with relevant levels of care being available at an appropriate time. • The three sites at Abbey Hulton, Blurton and Chell will provide 390 one bed plus or two bed homes for social rent. • The schemes were all developed in conjunction with older people and provide a village style setting including shops, libraries, restaurants, launderettes and other local facilities all designed to be easily accessible to the local community. • The next phase of homes form part of a private finance initiative set up by the council to fund the projects. • The over-riding aim of the schemes is to ensure that older residents are able to retain their independence and remain in their homes for longer while still having access to quality care when required.
20. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 8 Building Schools for the Future
• The aim of the BSF programme is to establish a city where young people have the skills, qualifications and aspirations to take advantage of the new employment opportunities arising from the city’s regeneration. • BSF is a major contributor to the council’s Mandate for Change and its delivery is at the forefront of the city’s wider transformation. • A first wave BSF programme, the Stoke-on-Trent schools project survived the coalition cuts in 2010 but had to deliver £12.3m of efficiencies. • A revised programme in 2010 saw Balfour Beatty and Thomas Vale/Wates appointed as design and build contractors and RM appointed to provide ICT services to schools across the city. • In February 2012 the council allocated some additional capital funding to the programme to ensure that best value and sustainable design solutions could be delivered to all schools without compromising quality. • Construction work on the first school (Reach Pupil Referral Service) started in February 2011 and since then work has continued at a pace on all sites across the city against a target date to complete all schools by September 2014. • Through BSF the council has closed 7 high schools and replaced them with five sponsor-led academies, supported four schools to change status from community to foundation/trust schools, and revamped special schools to support children with more challenging needs. Many more community schools in the city are now seeking to convert to Academy status in the Government’s new programme. • The total value of the BSF programme is £270m. In total, 18 schools are being rebuilt or refurbished across the city. To date, 7 schools have been successfully completed on time and budget. The most recent of these was Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy, which opened the doors of its new building to students on 14th January 2013. Image: Artist impression of Thistley Hough High School
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 21. St Joseph’s College, Edmund Rice Academy Trust
St Joseph’s College is an 11-18 co-educational catholic school, rated outstanding by Ofsted. It was one of the first schools to convert to Academy status in February 2011, and became one of the country’s first Teaching Schools in 2012. The BSF programme is providing an iconic new four-court sports hall built to national standards for badminton, plus an extension to the College’s existing music facility. Construction by Balfour Beatty began in December 2011 and will be completed by mid-February 2013.
Reach, Pupil Referral Service
Reach, at Trent Vale, provides full-time or part-time support, depending on their age and need, to up to 80 students aged 11 – 16 who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from their home schools. Rated an Outstanding pupil referral unit by Ofsted, Reach also operates an extensive student-focused outreach service including sessional opportunities to students of secondary schools. The BSF programme has provided a brand new building on one of the main gateways into the city comprising purpose-built facilities for staff and students. Construction by Balfour Beatty began in February 2011 and was completed in February 2012. St Thomas More Catholic College
St Thomas More Catholic College is an 11-18 Voluntary Aided catholic school with capacity for 1050 pupils. A high performing Mathematics and Computing specialist school, it provides an all-round education in a Christian setting to students from southern Stoke-On-Trent. The BSF programme is providing a new entrance (giving the school a “wow” factor and enhancing visitors’ sense of arrival), internal and external improvements to circulation and accessibility, and a new chapel at the heart of the school. Phased construction by Thomas Vale began in February 2012 and will be completed in August 2013. 22. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy
The Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy, with capacity for up to 1050 students aged 11-16, is sponsored by The Ormiston Trust with the strategic partner Keele University. Established in September 2010 to replace Blurton High School, in 2012 the Academy achieved an outstanding 18% overall improvement in GCSE results. The Academy states: “At Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy we go the extra mile for our young people. The academy is committed to developing as both a specialist Mathematics and Business and Enterprise Academy, helping young people master the key skills they need in preparation for adult life.”
Everyone involved with Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy has a great deal of pride in their new school. It has benefited greatly from the ‘halo effect’ of Sir Stanley Matthews’s legacy and the academy is working closely with Stoke City Football Club. Academy students acted as guards of honour at a match between Stoke City and Blackpool, two clubs that Sir Stanley played for, in front of 26,000 people. The name has made a big impact outside of Stoke-on-Trent as the academy challenged an under-14s football team from a Blackpool school to compete against them for the ‘Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Cup,’ creating publicity in Blackpool as well as Stoke-on-Trent.
The BSF programme has provided a completely new building for the Academy on the old Blurton High School site. Kemball Special School is also moving to a new building on the site, which will promote opportunities for inclusion and partnership working between the schools. Construction by Wates began in March 2011 and the new Academy building was completed in January 2013. The old high school building is due to be demolished and external landscaping completed by July 2013. The new Kemball Special School will open in September 2013.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 23. The BSF Programme’s contribution to the current and future local economy
The city council has worked in close partnership with the main contractors for phase 2 of the programme to maximise its benefits to the local economy and support the Mandate for Change vision to create a great working city.
Work opportunities for local supply chain businesses (within 15 miles of Stoke-On- Trent) Meet the Buyer events were held in 2010 and 2011 to promote the opportunity for up to £150m work through the local supply chain. The main contractors worked together to establish a single PQQ process to assess tenders against consistent standards for health and safety, environmental systems, financial stability, capability, product and quality delivery systems, locality, commitment to apprentices and references.
A wide range of local sub-contractors and materials suppliers have supported the programme (security, ground-works, brickworks, M&E, plumbing, joinery, aggregates, furniture and equipment).
To date approximately 45% of the total value of the programme (around £75m) has been invested in local labour.
Image: Example of BSF impact on the local economy – Little Dreams feature in The Sentinel Oct 12
24. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Work experience and apprenticeships for students and young people
The city council’s Inward Investment Team has worked with Stoke College and the BSF contractors to set up a new company, Real Apprentice Ltd. New procedures and protocols have been created through dialogue between the college and the contractors that have enabled: • the employers to provide flexible, longer term placements that will support FE qualifications • the college to provide apprentices who are “site-ready” (i.e. they have received basic training and are appropriately Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) qualified). • Besides this, to date, a total of 42 apprentices have been appointed by BSF contractors and their supply chains (18 through Thomas Vale/Wates, 24 through Balfour Beatty in conjunction with the Princes Trust). A wide range of disciplines are covered, including business administration, plumbing, joinery, electrical, and carpentry. RM are also recruiting 4 ICT apprentices this month (against their overall target of 16 by 2017).
Post-BSF it is intended to maintain the relationships and procedures established through the Make It Construction network that covers Stoke-On-Trent and North Staffordshire.
Curriculum and personal development (CPD) opportunities for students and school staff.
• The city council, in partnership with RM, are delivering a structured programme of training and curriculum development, based on the school or academy’s vision for learning and teaching. • Each school has a tailored programme to help them to achieve their learning and teaching priorities to support student achievement. The programme offers: • Essential Skills: on-line skills audit which identifies staff strengths and areas for further development, allowing CPD to be tailored to meet individual needs and school priorities. • Action Research Projects (ARP): provide opportunities for innovation and creativity using new and existing school technologies to address educational needs. A Lending Library enables the school to ‘try before you buy’, allowing staff to explore the potential of a range of technologies to deliver learning outcomes in the classroom, helping to develop practice and inform the use of the funds available to them through BSF. • Visits: by staff and students to inspirational venues such as the RM Real Centre. This showcases how furniture and exciting new technologies can be combined to provide a stimulating learning environment. Working together staff and students explore a range of technologies and create resources for use back in school to share the experience with the wider community. • Shared Information and Knowledge: the School Learning Platform is regularly updated with information and knowledge gained from the CPD Change Management programme. This now includes several case studies of real experiences from the city’s schools.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 25. BSF School Site Map
Rail line to Manchester
A50 9 A527 8 10 Tunstall
11 A53 7 Burslem 12 13 15 City Centre (Hanley)
16 14 Stoke 17 Fenton 1 2 Longton A50 5 15 M6 North A500
15 A34 4 Rail line to 3 Derby A520 19
6 To the M1 M6 South
Rail line to Birmingham
© Crown Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Stoke-on-Trent City Council 10002428.
26. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Ref Project
1 St Joseph’s College - Edmund Rice Academy Trust
2 Reach - Pupil Referal Service
3 Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy
4 Kemball Special School
5 St Thomas More Catholic College
6 Portland School
7 The Co-operative Academy at Brownhills
9 Middlehurst Special School
10 St Margaret Ward Catholic High School
11 Haywood High School and Engineering College
12 Holden Lane High School and Specialist Sports College
13 Birches Head High School
14 The Discovery Academy
15 Abbey Hill Special School and Performing Arts College
16 St Peter’s Academy (new site at Fenton Manor)
17 Thistley Hough High School and Visual Arts College
18 Trentham High School
Sandon Business and Enterprise College 19 (built in 2008 under Phase 1 of the scheme)
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 27. 9 CoRE – Centre of Refurbishment Excellence • CoRE is a new facility that enables construction professionals to learn new skills in reducing greenhouse gas emissions during building refits or refurbishment projects to help meet the new targets outlined in the Climate Change Act of 2008. • It is a key part of the city council’s green agenda and is providing a base to share knowledge and develop and learn new skills. • CoRE is situated in a refurbished pottery site in the heart of Longton, providing ‘hands on’ practical skills workshops and theoretical knowledge via virtual interactive learning compacts that will be available via the CoRE website. • It is estimated that more than 22 million homes will need some form of improvement in the next 40 years so the centre is ideally placed to help meet some of the demand in training people in the construction industry. • It is also used to showcase sustainable refurbishment products and new processes such as providing a training facility. • The government has set itself challenging targets to reduce emissions by 2050 which are now enshrined in law in the form of the Climate Change Act 2008. The UK commits to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% from 1990 levels.
Image: Artist impression of CoRE
28. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Image: Photovoltaic cells on the roof of CoRE
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 29. Make Stoke-on-Trent the place to bring business To increase inward investment in the city To ensure we offer a streamlined planning we have: service we have:
• Launched our ‘red carpet’ approach for • Redesigned our planning service to say businesses which offers: ‘yes’ to good development • a single point of contact for investors • Become accredited with the LEP Charter • a streamlined planning process Mark for good planning. • tailored solutions for business growth • guidance to funding and To provide green, low cost energy • access to supply chains, labour markets and solutions we have: networks. This has secured 500 new jobs in the city. • Opened the Centre of Refurbishment • Created partnerships with the county for our Excellence (CoRE) – the UK’s leading inward investment service and with UK Trade & centre for sustainable refurbishment Investment (UKTI) to promote the city. and completed the second phase of • Showcased Stoke-on-Trent at the House of development including fitting out the Commons and the international retail and conference centre and demonstrations property trade fairs MAPIC and MIPIM. facilities. • Increased awareness of our ceramics companies • Designed innovative projects to deliver to overseas countries by working with the Lord energy self-sufficiency by working closely Mayor of London, Alderman David Wootton, and with the private sector to develop a participating in the annual ‘New Era’ ceramics portfolio of cutting edge and industry trade fair at Stoke City Football Club. • Completed our first four Carbon • Hosted an event to promote overseas trade, Reduction projects with a further 11 in with Minister of State Lord Green as the keynote implementation, which will deliver annual speaker. The event was attended by more than savings of £0.181m and a reduction of 170 businesses and other stakeholders, and 1,336 tonnes of CO2. has led to a longer term partnership to help • Initiated innovative approaches to local companies to export goods and services creating sustainable energy which have overseas been recognized and supported by Nesta’s • Committed to a core Central Business District Creative Council Board. that will define the commercial heart of the city. • Improved the energy efficiency of our This is in partnership with Gener8 and the main city’s homes by working with partners with phase of construction will commence in spring over 5,500 benefiting so far. 2013 aimed at creating up to 4,500 jobs. • Installed solar panel systems to 568 • Started work on our new Etruria Valley Business homes across the city. Park which will create additional capacity for businesses to move to the city.
To develop a skilled workforce we have:
• Boosted apprenticeships numbers from 2600 in 09/10 to 3900 in 11/12. • Enabled people back into employment - 949 from April 2011 to end September 2012. • Opened the retail skills shop ‘The Store’ helping people into retail jobs. • Rolled out our comprehensive adult and family learning programme to over 5,000 people. • Commissioned a successful volunteering scheme specifically for people out of work delivered through Voluntary Action Stoke-on- Trent.
30. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Support and develop existing business To deliver excellent connectivity and • Assisted 19 local companies to access infrastructure we have: £15m from the Regional Growth Fund to underpin business Growth including • Got our access routes and link roads ready for working with businesses such as Prince’s the new business park at Etruria Valley. Regeneration Trust in Middleport to • Almost completed our new City Centre Bus develop plans and secure funding via Station which is critical for the next phase of RGF and European funding to accelerate developing our new major retail and leisure growth, enhance visitor attractions and complex City Sentral with partner Realis. preserve jobs in the ceramics industry. • Completed significant improvement to the key • Provided business start-up grants to road junctions that will allow buses to easily support nearly 50 small businesses. access the new bus station and improves the • Employed Enterprise Coaches who have overall condition of our highways. already helped 70 new business starts • Started work to complete the City Centre Ring since April 2012 Road. • Launched a new supply chain programme, • Started work to improve traffic flow on the vital ‘Make it your business’, to help local route between our train station and the city companies access a broad range of centre and improved the way we manage our business and procurement opportunities. traffic across the city which has reduced delays 450 local companies have signed up to and improved journey reliability. date. • Organised a substantial clean-up operation on major trunk roads – the A500 and the A50. • Improved 18 historic buildings as part of the three year, major regeneration Longton Conservation Scheme. The former Phoenix Pottery Works is now undergoing a facelift to create retail and office spaces to help create new jobs.
To provide local business with financial packages and support we have:
• Established a single point of contact for business support to help companies and potential entrepreneurs, which has recorded over 1200 calls to date and helped local businesses access Olympics Procurement 2012 and “micro” companies gain orders worth over £200,000. • Introduced business mentoring programmes with over 40 experienced business people and entrepreneurs on its database, who support 60 companies a year to grow their business. • Continued our successful JET Service which has helped over 400 local employers with their recruitment needs; • Set up a business investor network with North Staffordshire Chamber to link people of high net value with companies seeking investment. • Launched the Stoke-on-Trent Loan Fund which can make loans of up to £50,000 available to local businesses. £175,000 of funds have been awarded to date, creating 30 new jobs and safeguarding another 50.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 31. Work with people to promote independence and healthy lives To protect our most vulnerable people • Received a national award for ‘Stoke Speaks we have: Out’ - our work to improve communication with very young children. • Created additional accommodation for older • Improved day services for adults with learning people including 390 apartments within “extra disabilities to increase independence and care” schemes which help meet the need for inclusion, employment and meaningful appropriate accommodation and increase activities. independent living. • Supported adults with learning disabilities • Delivered vital short breaks to support children into employment, training or voluntary with disabilities and their families with 1,322 work with 136 adults (19% of service users) breaks being enjoyed by 472 children in 2012. benefiting in 2012 of which 38 was through • Provided suitable care solutions at home paid employment. for 8,455 older and younger people with • Refurbished and redesigned our life skills disabilities to enable them to enjoy living unit for adults with learning disabilities (with independently. This includes ensuring Brighter Futures) to support people to live the provision of almost 600,000 hours of independently in the community. domiciliary care to 2,507 people. • Improved services for older people with • Opened a new, purpose built refuge, including physical disabilities to increase inclusion and 11 units of accommodation, for women fleeing independence. domestic violence. • Improved our re-ablement service to assist • Redesigned dementia services to provide more older people to live independently and safely support at home by working with Combined including providing Lifeline Services which has Health Care. responded to 2,280 call-out visits. • Redesigned social work services to improve the way we work with families. • Delivered safeguarding improvements in our To provide fair and easy access to services schools to the value of £0.75m. we have: • Established a new Sexual Assault Referral Centre through work with partners. • Redesigned local services to integrate • Achieved the second highest number of Libraries, Youth Services and Community adoptions and the highest number of Special Engagement so individuals and families can Guardianship Orders in the West Midlands access services more easily. region (2011-2012) and we have recruited more • Reduced unplanned hospital admissions foster carers. We have also achieved a rating of and length of stay and ensured safe and ‘good’ in an Ofsted inspection for our Adoption timely discharges from hospital with the right Service. packages of support available at home. • Worked with partners to provide healthcare To help people reach their potential we have: facilities including the new hospital, Cobridge Community Health Centre, Meir Primary Care • Started our £270m Building Schools for the Centre, Tunstall Medical Centre. Future programme to establish a city where • Worked to prevent serious health problems young people have skills, qualifications by helping over 28,000 through initiatives and aspirations to take advantage of new such as the Lifestyle Programme, Stop Smoking employment opportunities arising from our campaign and the NHS Health regeneration - with 13 secondary schools, 5 • Provided carers with advice, information and special schools being re-built or re-modeled. services with 2,516 benefiting in 2012. • Increased primary school capacity by extending • Provided personal budgets so people can seven primary schools to create over 1,200 new choose their own care and support with 3,305 places. people receiving them in 2012. • Provided access to specialist educational provision in their own community for 540 children and young people with complex needs.
32. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Make Stoke-on-Trent a great city to live in To boost the visitor economy we have: • Launched an executive, custom-build homes scheme for sites in Penkhull and Hanford • Raised the profile of the city through events having secured £500k from Growing Places such as: (LEP) to deliver infrastructure for the scheme. • the Halfords Tour Series cycle race and • Provided Home Repairs Assistance Loans to a stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race 200 homeowners, delivering around £2m (which has been held in the city for the last investment into the city’s private sector four years - cementing our commitment to housing stock. cycling) • Worked on the completion of a complex of • concerts in Hanley Park (attracting over 36 ‘move on’ apartments using local labour in 16,000 visitors) and partnership with the YMCA • the Olympic Torch Relay and evening • Continued to offer a free loft and cavity wall celebrations (attracting national TV insulation service to all residents in the city coverage). which has improved the energy performance • A major British Gymnastics Championships of 1,400 homes. held at Fenton Manor. • Committed to a programme of housing • Attracted visitors to view the Staffordshire retrofit works with three energy suppliers Hoard which attracted over 55,000 people investing £8 million into the housing stock, in the first three weeks. The Hoard was also improving 1,000 homes with new heating and/ shown in Washington DC and filmed by or solid wall insulation. National Geographic. The installation of the • Brought back into use 120 long term empty Saxon statue supported local talent and raised homes. the profile of the area. • Held the British Ceramic Biennial – the • To keep the city safe and looking good we Biennial drew 30,000 visitors and generated have: £2m additional economic impact. • Held the “Stoke Your Fires” Film Festival 2012 • Helped to reduce the rate of youth offending with international recognition of local talent and to increase numbers of offenders taking e.g. Blood and Bone China which won an award part in education, employment and training at the Marseilles Film Festival. by working closely with partners. We have • Increased regular adult participation in also seen a reduction in crime and antisocial sport and active recreation helping people to behaviour. maintain healthy lifestyles. • Organised respect weeks and clean up campaigns in a number of areas to increase the To provide a choice of good quality housing feeling of pride in the city amongst residents. we have: • Worked with residents to ensure community cohesion – despite national tension we had no • Redesigned our housing maintenance service disturbance during the riots of summer 2011. through our joint venture with Kier resulting in • Planted 60,000 trees to form two new a customer satisfaction rating of 99%. ‘Diamond’ woodlands to adapt to the effects of • Helped house builders build great homes in climate change. the city, overseeing proposals for 650 new • Supported the £2m restoration improvements homes across the city including Fegg Hayes, to a key city park in Burslem using Heritage Middleport, Chell Health, Cauldon Quay, Lottery funding. We held the official opening Wedgwood Gardens, Abbey Hulton, Blurton and in June 2012 to celebrate the restored the Meir. Victorian pavilion, new landscaping and a • Built 17 new eco-standard bungalows specially commissioned sculpture designed to accommodate wheelchairs in • Improved the appearance of our city centre Warren Road, Chell Heath. Solar panels will by completing the first phase paving works, provide some of the household electricity and funded by European funds, on parts of Tontine should also offer residents a saving on their Street and Stafford Street carriageway and fuel bills. footways.
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 33. Develop an Effective and Confident Council To ensure we operate an effective and • Improved our cash collection rates in respect confident council we have: of Council tax by £1.3m, and business rates by £0.5m to the end of October 2012 compared to • Provided an open and transparent view of the the same period last year. city council through a no-holds barred BBC4 • Completed the consultation on the Local documentary. Council Tax Support Scheme, a significant • Demonstrated strong financial management government-led change in how council tax with final year end expenditure for 2011/12 benefit will be provided in the future. coming within budget and with 83% of our • Been awarded the West Midlands Members planned 2012/13 savings achieved in the first Development Charter which will support the 6 months and remaining on target to achieve all development of our councillors. by the year end. • Established a new state of the art primary • Received a positive opinion from our external Data Centre to improve data security and auditors on ‘Value for Money’ and our Statement reliability and also house the new CCTV control of Accounts for 2011/12. centre. • Received national recognition for the impact • Redesigned “back-office” services to cut costs of our Spot the Cheater’ campaign which has including reducing our first class mail use from almost doubled the number of referrals for 55% to 13% fraud. • Received the Personnel Today ‘Excellence in Public Sector HR’ award in November 2012 in recognition of our HR and Organisational Development team who have provided vital support to the teams on our transformation journey.
34. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 Image: Artist impression of Central Business District
LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013 35. stoke.gov.uk 36. LGC Tour Wednesday 23 January 2013