City News 1 8/7/16 16:03 Page 1 Summer 2016 stoke.gov.uk City News HERE COMESSTRONGER TOGETHER PAGE 5 Sporting POTTO LOTTO Lord Mayor leads push Innovative for charities prize draw set to help good causes in the city OTTERY fever is set to hit Stoke-on-Trent when the local Lauthority becomes the first council in the UK to launch its own weekly draw... the Potto Lotto. Proceeds will be distributed to PAGE 6 good causes in the city who will be able to apply for support from the Potteries lottery pot. And players will stand a chance of winning great cash prizes, or TV link boosts special jackpots like a holiday, fitted kitchen or a car sponsored visitor figures by a local dealer. Potto Lotto is the brainchild of City Council Leader Dave Conway at Gladstone and the fun competition has a very serious point. Museum As well as giving players the chance to win great prizes it is also hoped the revenue it raises will ease pressure on city council budgets faced with requests for support from a huge range of community groups and charities across PAGE 19 the city. Mr Conway said: “Of course we’d love to write a cheque for every worthy cause who asks for support from the council, but it’s simply not possible. We have to look at ways of making every pound we spend go further, providing better value to the council tax payers of the city. “That’s why I’ve been working on an imaginative initiative to launch the Potto Lotto. “We’re the first council in the UK to do it, and I hope people back us. They will have an opportunity to win great prizes every week and everyone who Summer buys a ticket will be helping good Council-run causes close to home.” See pages 14-15 It is hoped to launch Potto Lotto company to later in the year and tickets will be events on sale throughout the city. build over LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OFCity News IN NOVEMBER 100 homes City News 2 8/7/16 15:42 Page 1 2 City News SUMMER 2016 Great strides made but now we double our efforts to drive our city forward By City Council Leader Councillor Dave Conway IN our first year in office the coalition has made great strides to reclaim the city council and everything it does for the people who matter most... the people of Stoke-on-Trent. Now we’re starting to see the fruits of that commitment. The streets are noticeably cleaner and, although there is still a great deal of work to do, we are tackling untidy public areas and clamping down on flytipping. We have transformed the use of the Smithfield development from a replacement civic centre to a top READY TO BUILD ON THE FIRM FOUNDATIONS LAID IN THE FIRST YEAR: tier office complex attracting City Council Cabinet Members, left to right, Randy Conteh, Dave Conway, hundreds of new jobs and big Abi Brown, Janine Bridges,Terry Follows, Ann James and Jack Brereton. names like Severn Trent and United Utilities. Having fought hard to win the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone we now have developers and employers moving towards building and occupying sites from Etruria to Tunstall. And although we recognise the importance of the enterprise zone and the city centre we have continued to promote progress and development across all six towns. We said we’d support our MINISTER BACKS communities and businesses and that’s exactly what we are doing. I won’t rest until more of the money this council spends remains here in Stoke-on-Trent, and while we must follow the rules in relation to tenders, we will give city businesses as much support as we can to help them put forward strong bids and win the work. CITY’S PROGRESS Money the council spends can strengthen our city’s economy, ECRETARY of State for the city’s streets and clamp supporting local businesses and Communities and Local down hard on flytippers by fuelling growth and job creation. Government The Right investigating and prosecuting. The knock-on for our communities S ● The first artists moving into a is obvious. For the first time in Honourable Greg Clark MP was creative industries hub of units decades the council is building impressed with progress made in at the former Spode factory in quality houses for the private Stoke-on-Trent when he visited Stoke. More improvements and rental market which will provide the city for face-to-face talks facilities at the site will open homes for professionals moving with senior councillors. later this year. here to work, and their families. Councillor Conway said: “We City Council Leader Dave We have achieved so much in the showed him what we’ve Conway updated the minister last year but I can assure you we achieved so far and we were on achievements of the last will not be resting on our laurels. pleased with his response. 12 months since the coalition In fact, with the new City “We have worked hard to took control of the council. Director in place we will be deliver these improvements and Councillor Conway said: “He working even harder to make sure have many more in the asked about our way of working this city benefits the people who pipeline. We want all six towns and our ambitions for the city. Secretary of State for live and work here, providing better of Stoke-on-Trent and our “He was very interested to Communities and Local opportunities for our children and many communities to benefit hear what’s going on in Government Greg Clark young people, more jobs, healthier from city council services. Now Stoke-on-Trent. And while I will pictured during a visit to living and a cleaner environment. we want to build on the first not be going to London with a These are big commitments, but Wade Ceramics with Abi year’s successes and press on begging bowl, we did make it we have big hearts and we are Brown and Jack Brereton. with more initiatives to make clear to him that we wouldn’t passionate to deliver. We answer to sure the council is even more refuse any additional help the you, the people of Stoke-on-Trent, effective, efficient and receives Government can give us.” and we won’t let you down. training. The number has housing company – work has better value for money.” Greg Clark was taken reduced by 30 per cent in the already started to build Greg Clark said: “The through a timeline of progress last year, putting the city well hundreds of new homes. ceramics industry in between the election in May below the national average. ● Launching a £500million Stoke-on-Trent is world 2015 and May 2016. Give us your views ● £5million of funding awarded capital investment programme famous, but clearly over the It included: to restore and refurbish Hanley to benefit the whole city. years there have been some WE want to hear your views on City ● Government approval for the Park. Work is progressing ● Committing over £7.2million very difficult times for the News, so please let us know what you Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone during the summer. to resurface roads and people working in it. like about the newspaper, what you which is already attracting new ● Unemployment in the city pavements and fill in potholes. “Now we see the area is don’t like and what you’d like to see investment and creating new falling by 8.6 per cent, ● Attracting over 400 private undergoing regeneration, and more of. jobs. compared to a national average sector jobs from big name how well-placed it is in terms ● Significant reductions in the reduction of 2.3 per cent. employers to the Smithfield of material science and Email [email protected] or ● write to FREEPOST City News to number of young people in The City was granted site. ceramics is certainly a huge the city who are not in Housing Zone status and ● An environmental task force part of that. It's a fantastic have your say. employment, education or launched a ground-breaking has been launched to clean up opportunity.” LIVE WEBCAST of full council meetings Web: stoke.gov.uk MEETINGS of the full council can now be viewed online.To see and City News is printed on paper from hear the debates and decisions which affect life in Stoke-on-Trent, Facebook: facebook.com/ sustainable sources.When you have visit stoke.gov.uk/webcasting. sotcitycouncil finished with this publication please A list of dates and times of council meetings and committee meetings Twitter: @SoTCityCouncil help the environment by passing it can be found on our website at stoke.gov.uk/meetingdates on to a friend or recycling it. twitter.com/SoTCityCouncil City News 3 8/7/16 14:19 Page 1 SUMMER 2016 City News 3 400 JOBS HAVE HUGE FINANCIAL KNOCK-ON UNDREDS of jobs being NHS Clinical Commissioning created in the showcase Groups. Also later this year, Smithfield buildings will have Staffordshire Police will move out of H Hanley Police Station and into the a multi-million pound knock-on for multicoloured One Smithfield. the city. The development’s success is News that business giants Severn attracting lots of interest, with more Trent Water and United Utilities’ than 10 employers already in talks joint venture Water Plus is locating with the city council about taking its retail team in the prestigious space.