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.