“Yet another pie in the sky idea by local so called planners, Give the council money and promise of more jobs and plans get accepted, but they forgot about the what jobs are lost once the new plans get started.
Regeneration should start with what needs regenerating for example the Town Center, its dying and more empty shop units appear weekly. The ones that are left are struggling to pay rates & rent. Sort the actually town out first before it follows in the footsteps of the rest of the Potteries trades have gone. (Out of the area and the Far East).
I have only lived here for 5 years but have seen the same happening here that happened in my home town once Sainsbury's closed their Town store and moved out of town. My home town is now full of Banks, estates agents and charity shops - the heart has gone.

The ideas above about a Tram excellent, but as norm all excellent ideas get ignored. Yippee the new idea has free carparking - can people still afford to run a car by the time its built. I thought we are suppose to be encouraged to use public transport ?.”

“i like most people dont shop in Hanley. partly because of the parking and the awkwardness in getting there. someone suggested a tram system in an earlier letter which would be an excellent idea. but the worst problem in stoke is that the city has lost its identity. stoke needs something for people to remember the city by. its ok knocking down old buildings but you tend to rip the heart out of its history. you wouldn't believe stoke was the centre of the pottery industry by visiting it. also, the "place" was famous many years ago for rock bands stopping off in stoke on their way down south. give the city something to be remembered by, or the people will think the council are just a load of bores with not a good idea amungst them.”

“The general public have very little opportunity to influence the decision makers. Consultations are limited; it's really not our job to plan developments. Officials are paid to make decisions in the best interests of the area. I quite agree that individuals need to be pro-active in order to find better jobs, but equally the Council needs to ensure that they are providing the very best opportunities to do so.”

“New jobs from shops are better than no new jobs at all. If people want better jobs they should ask industry what sort of skills they want, and then go and get them, then the better jobs might come here. Most urban regeneration has come through private, not public money. If the city is crying out for new ideas then let the people come up with them instead of expecting others to do it for them.”

“Yet again it seems Hanley wants to the cetre of the universe in Stoke-on-Trent, as other contributors have said, it's time to develop the rest of the Potteries and let them grow into modern towns. How many times are we going to "regenerate" Hanley, Some time ago visiting Hanley workmen were ripping up newly laid paving stones to put down even newer ones for the regeneration of the "cultural quarter" and what a waste of money that turned out with the sleaze involved there. It's time to break out of this "Hanley first" mentality and start to re-develop the rest of the potteries to something fit for the 21st century. My visiting American friends were appauled as we came through Burslem and Cobridge at how run-down they looked, so forget the Hanley centre for once and use some imagination into putting some prideback into the Potteries, we have a Premier league football team now, so let's do the same for Stoke-on-Trent.”

“Planners of modern Shopping Districts in England should start looking across the pond to see how to do it right. This place was built on a derelict field close to where I now live in just 2 years.
http://www.cbldevelopment.com/pearland/”

“Sadly, I no-longer have any faith that the council will adopt any sort of scheme that will enhance a once proud city. The towns we once knew are disappearing before our eyes; when buildings are replaced, they are done so with shoddy, un-imaginative boxes. The people of this City have been through enough. When are the council going to understand that the decline of the pottery industry is no excuse to palm off any old project they deem to be appropriate. The people of Stoke-on-Trent will not be grateful for just anything they get, nor should there be. This City is crying out for new ideas and for people who actually understand and care about Stoke-on-Trent to be in authority. If we must persist in knocking down everything in sight let's start with the Civic Centre. We need quality developments, with style and respect for our heritage.”

“When has this council ever achieved anything in the way of regeneration,How could you trust them to make the right choices.I believe John,and Dave had it spot on,We have all the land alongside the A500
that would be ideal for shops, and a tramway to Hanley,but to expect this bunch of inept fools we have as a council to design and build something,is i think to much to ask.”

“ATF, a tram system linking Festival Way & Hanley centre is an excellent idea. Sadly, it may have too much commonsense about it to be adopted by this lot.”

“Whenever I hear of regeneration in this City my heartsinks into my boots.

It will mean more derelict sites left unused or more souless braindead architect inspired concrete and plaster boxes.

Regeneration has ripped the heart out if this once decent City and no-one in any position with authority seems to care or understand what they are doing to it.

I'v elived all over the UK but was born here and returned here and I'm ashamed of what our sorry excuse for leaders have done in the name of progress.

If anywhere in this City needs bulldozing, lets start at the Civic Centre. Once we get that right then perhaps we'll be able to get the rest right”