MORE than 40 homes next to an historic pot bank are to be renovated in a way that reflects their heritage, as part of a £1 million pound scheme.

Work on the properties in Port Street, Middleport, opposite the Grade II-listed Middleport Pottery is due to start next year as part of Renew North Staffordshire's regeneration of the area.

The factory, below, is the only totally intact working Victorian pottery factory in Stoke-on-Trent and is itself being developed as a working business by the Prince's Regeneration Trust.

Other proposals for Port Street include knocking two terrace houses into one to provide housing to attract families.

Renew has drawn up plans following talks with residents over the past 12 months. They were on show at Middleport Health Centre yesterday along with the regeneration agency's proposals for Community Lane and Travers Street.

The event was one of three consultation events which have taken place in the area over the last week.

Debbie Hope, Renew programme manager, said: "The houses opposite Middleport Pottery were built to house the pottery workers. They are important for preserving the history of the area. We also want to make sure redevelopment of these houses is in keeping with the Grade II-listed building.

"We will be looking at preserving specific features of the brickwork, the doors and the detail around the chimney. We want to create a sense of uniformity and quality

"It is so that people who want to stay in the area feel they can."

Renew also wants to improve the insides of houses in Port Street to make them more comfortable and cheaper to run. The agency has also drawn up plans to maintain access for businesses but reduce impact of residents and install sensitive lighting to make the area safer and more attractive.

Plans for Travers Street include building new housing in 2013, which is modern and environmentally-friendly.

They also include adding parking and yards to the fronts of some of the houses and installing allotments, community orchards, social areas, and natural children's play areas under existing trees.

In Community Lane, Renew wants to install alley gates to increase security, seating areas and subtle lighting to promote evening use, in-built storage for bikes and bins and a play area for children.

Renew is looking at doing facelifts to properties from 2010 to 2011, internal facelifts next April and building new homes and making outside improvements in 2013.

Dawn Williams, aged 33, of Yale Street, who is a dinner lady at John Baskeyfield Primary School in Burslem, welcomed the plans.

The mother-of-two said: "I've lived in Middleport all my life. It used to have a strong community. There would be parties out on the street and you were able to go out and leave your front door open.

"At the moment there is a lot of derelict land, which is not being made use of."

Doris Buchanan, aged 62, of Maddock Street, Middleport, who has lived in the area for 42 years, said she was glad that work was finally starting.

She said: "I am glad a lot of the houses are being done up rather than being knocked down."