New Chapter for Bentilee and Ubberley with £20 Million Regeneration Plan
Plus introducing county's new film office, Screen Staffordshire, cash for communities to rejuvenate brownfield land, and new Manc-born coffee shop for Goods Yard
Good News 🎉
🏙️ Regeneration Cash for Bentilee and Ubberly. Chosen as one of only 25 “trailblazer” neighbourhoods across the UK to receive funds, Stoke-on-Trent will receive up to £20 million to transform Bentilee and Ubberley through regeneration projects led by the local community. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) say the money will, “support improvements people can see on their doorstep, champion local leadership, foster community engagement and strengthen social cohesion”. The announcement follows news that the former Brookhouse Green Primary School site will be transformed into affordable housing (although there has been some pushback that the homes are on the small side).
👨🎓 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Ian Davies 👨🎓
Ian Davies, associate professor of Biomedical Science Practice at University of Staffordshire, was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for his outstanding contribution to the NHS and biomedical science education. Before moving into academia full-time in 2015, Ian spent more than two decades in the NHS, where he led clinical chemistry services and played a key role in workforce development and service transformation. He’s since become a leading national figure in biomedical science education, renowned for championing collaboration between the NHS and universities. In 2023, Ian was named Biomedical Scientist of the Year for his work on degree apprenticeships, a programme he leads at the university that’s helping develop apprentices from more than 25 NHS Trusts. Bravo, Ian!
🎬 Lights Camera Action for Screen Staffordshire. Staffs, get ready for your close-up! The county’s new film office has officially launched, with aims to make the county a prime location for film and television production. Funding was secured by We Are Staffordshire, with Staffordshire County Council investing £300,000 in the three-year pilot programme. Jonny Shelton, the film office manager, was appointed in December 2024 and brings extensive experience in UK film and television, including roles at Filming in England and the Production Guild of Great Britain. Where do you think would make a great film or TV location?
♻️ The Big Green Fund is Back. Created to help tackle fly-tipping and help promote environmentally-friendly neighbourhoods, the Big Green Fund is offering up to £45,000 for residents and community groups to help clear and rejuvenate local brownfield and abandoned plots of land, unadopted alleyways, an area in a local park, or small grass areas. The fund will cover three successful entries - one north, one central, one south of the city – with a maximum fund allocation of £15,000 per site. To find out more about the eligibility criteria and application process visit the website. Be quick though, as applications close 20/07.
🥪 Yummy Option Set to Arrive at Goods Yard. Artisan sarnies coming our way… Manchester-born indie coffee shop and sandwich specialists Cotton will soon be setting up shop in Goods Yard. Set to open on 23/06, it will be serving up coffee, juices, pastries and cakes seven days a week, 8am-4pm. From July, you can also order from a lunch menu featuring their famed artisan butties and salads.
👵 Adult Social Care In Stoke Gets the Thumbs Up. Adult social care services in Stoke-on-Trent have been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
It follows a CQC Assurance assessment carried out earlier this year of how well the city council, working with partners, has ensured people have access to adult social care and support under the 2014 Care Act. In their report (read here), CQC inspectors said: “Provision of adult social care was a clear priority within Stoke-on-Trent, and there was a positive energy among staff and members to do the best for people and make Stoke-on-Trent a great place to live and work.”
🥨 Good Vibes Only: A word from Helen, writer at The Knot
It’s fair to say that our current government hasn’t got off to the best of starts since Keir swiped the keys to No. 10 from Rishi last July. Taking away the winter fuel allowance has been a deeply unpopular move, and the government got trounced at the local elections last month by Reform. Neverthless, we’re chuffed to see that the chancellor has found some cash – £20 million no less – to transform Bentilee and Ubberly as part of her Comprehensive Spending Review. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this project as it unfolds and bringing you all the latest updates.
The announcement follows news that the former Brookhouse Green Primary School site on Bentilee’s Wellfield Road is set to feature 117 affordable homes mix of homes for older people to live independently, including dormer bungalows, apartments and family houses, with work set to start before next year.
Some have said these spaces are too small: the houses will be four square metres below the nationally described space standards (one-bedroom two-person flats over a single storey must be at least 50 sqm, or 58 sqm over two storeys, for example), while the bungalows will miss the requirement of 37 sqm by one square metre. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments…
Helen x
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
🎨 Robbie Williams: Art or Emotional Outlet? Lots of you read our story about Rob’s art
🪩 Disco Bliss: Party without the late night! Knotters were keen to find out about the Disco Bliss Daytime party for over 30’s at the King’s Hall next month…
🎉 Six Towns Reloaded Festival: You also wanted to know about this event on 13/07
The Knot Pod 🎤 ⬇️ Catch James chatting with some of our amazing innovators
🥨 The Red Haired Stokie: Our ace local blogger, photographer & Knot contributor
🗣️ Kirsty Hulse: Get inspired, it’s the founder of leading event Confidence Live
🏃♂️ George Bettany: Jog to this chat with the founder of MARA Run Club
📽️ Daniel Moore: So much creativity going on in Stone at top agency Dissident
🎶: Ash and Ryan: Listen to two of Stoke’s biggest names in music and fashion
🕯️Beth Warren: Founder of sustainable candle brand The Wandering Bee
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon ⛅️ 23° (11°) Tue ⛅️ 21° (11°) Wed ⛅️ 21° (10°) Thu ☀️ 27° (14°) Fri ☀️26° (13°)
Sat ☀️ 26° (14°) Sun ☀️ 26° (12°).
Sunrise 16/06 ☀️04:42 Sunset 16/06 🌅 21:37
