Revealed: The reason why Stoke City's former Victoria Ground site remains a wasteland
A DEAL to build houses on the site of Stoke City’s former ground has stalled – because the developer is prioritising ‘higher quality’ areas.
The former Victoria Ground site has been vacant since 1998 but hopes were raised earlier this year when owner St Modwen and Stoke-on-Trent City Council announced a development was imminent.
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The site of the former Victoria Ground as it is today.
Now the council says St Modwen’s housing partner Persimmon Homes is ignoring the site as it focuses on land which is easier to develop and more likely to deliver strong sales.
Regeneration officers see developing the site as crucial to Stoke’s revival as it attempts to sell buildings like the Civic Centre and Spode ahead of its move to a new £40 million HQ in Hanley’s Central Business District in 2015.
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The council’s city renewal scrutiny committee has raised concerns about the lack of activity at the ‘gateway’ site, which St Modwen bought for £2 million in 1997.
Committee member and Labour councillor Duncan Walker, pictured below, said: “The Victoria Ground has been derelict for 14 years now. As you drive along the D-Road into the city from the south it is one of the first things you see – and it does not look good.”
Kevin Bell, the council’s strategic manager for city and town centre regeneration, said: “It is a very bad advert for the city and it is one of the challenges. We can’t force developers to develop.
“You can’t blame them for not developing if they feel they are going to sell the houses and make a profit.
“St Modwen are not residential developers as such. They have an agreement with a developer but it tends to focus on higher-quality sites.
“They have a potential development partner attached to the site but it’s a relationship they have at national level and to be frank that developer is looking at better quality sites before it looks at this one.”
Mr Bell said the authority was working with St Modwen to make the land more attractive to developers, adding: “It’s frustrating and difficult. The better job we do of bringing this forward, the more attractive the town will become, and it works the other way around.
“It’s about tying the two together but it’s not something you can give guarantees on.”
Birmingham-based St Modwen first obtained planning permission for a mixed development at the Victoria Ground in 2007 but the subsequent recession meant construction never got off the ground.
Pauline Joynson, aged 60, of Boothen, a former city councillor, said: “They told me when I was on the council that the site was going to be developed.
“It would be fantastic, but I will not be holding my breath.
“There are no jobs and no prospects. People can’t get the mortgages, and with the council and everything else leaving Stoke I just don’t think anybody wants to live here. The houses wouldn’t sell.”
St Modwen was unavailable for comment.
Comments
by chrisonhere
Sunday, November 18 2012, 8:17AM
“Unfortunately Stoke is now a ghost town, I left Stoke 11 years ago after 48 years, it breaks my heart when I go back and see the deprivation brought about by Councillors , politicians and business men over the years.
During the 60s, 70s and 80s stoke was a thriving industrial city, Thatcher closed all the mines, pottery manufacturers exported all the jobs to third world countries and the council managed to drive other businesses out of the city and failed to attract new businesses.
Well done all you people; shame on you, I hope you sleep well at night !!!!!!!!”
by Justsuppose
Thursday, November 15 2012, 5:54PM
“The truth is, and the council is afraid to say it, that St. Modwen have been using the land as collateral against bigger and presumably more profitable sites elsewhere in the country. It's disgusting that once again, the public is less important to the council than a developer. Presumably someone in the council knows the full story. Has is been "financially impractical" to build anything there for 14 years? We're being taken for a ride and many of the above comments are very likely far closer to the truth than either the council or St. Modwen would care to admit.
St. Modwen - and other developers - have far too much say in this city, which makes me wonder how and why.”
by I_Norris
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 9:57PM
“wasn't this housing one of the good things to start in Stoke once the council desert it, which looks like is not true so guess buyers for spode and civic not true either then. But we knew that
Use your Vote tomorrow, enough lies, say NO to labour”
by Lammy55
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 9:22PM
“hardnose I think you are racist”
by stokemaveric
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 5:40PM
“well cant they at least landscape the land a little bit so it looks less of an eyesore??..but maybe thats what they want deep down...an eyesore...so that everyone travels to the promised land that is.........yes you guessed it.....hanley....”
by rubythursday
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 4:39PM
“the council say that they are relocating to hanley to act as 'anchor tenants' and show would be developers that they have confidence in the furure of hanley.
i suppose that leaving stoke tells would be developers that the council has no confidence in stoke's future.”
by Valeplace
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 2:27PM
“Must be me. Isn't this EXACTLY the same land that they bought 14 years ago? Has it suddenly become less buildable? It's in EXACTLY the same place isn't it? Methinks there's a tad more to this than meets the eye,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,”
by Exserviceman
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 2:13PM
“I do wish The Sentinel and Councillors would stop saying
a new £40 million HQ in Hanley
Everyone with half a brain knows that it will cost substantially more than this. Why not publish a realistic estimate of how much it will cost before it's up and running and how much tha actual move is going to cost . As anyone who ever bought a house or had one built knows the purchase price is only the beginning of the spending. It's good to know that our regeneration experts who are going to work wonders and **** miracles in Hanley have over the last 14 years not managed to get anything done about the eyesore that is the old Victoria Ground.”
by titanicrose
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 1:03PM
“Why don't they build a car park on that side of the city. I volunteer at a local charity but find it incredibly difficult to park with the various restrictions. Its either 3hrs limit on Sainsburys or 2hrs on Booth St. Council staff have the same dilemma as ourselves. Before anyone says theres Hide st, or Kingsway thats the other side of town and I have mobility problems but don't possess a blue badge.
A car park would serve both residents and local workers. I'm not saying cover the entirety of the land but just some, you never know it may make some money. Remember guys you have to speculate to accumulate!”
by hardnose
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 12:14PM
“I am not from Stoke,but live in the outskirts,I do not like your town,or your council,I think if properties are built on the old Victoria land,it would be a struggle to sell them,unless they are non payable council tax,council houses.”