Residents to help shape new vision for Packmoor

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to consult residents on a bold vision to transform Packmoor by creating a vibrant new village heart.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to consult residents on a bold vision to transform Packmoor by creating a vibrant new village heart.

A report to the council's cabinet notes that Packmoor's piecemeal growth has constrained local services, seen numbers fall at the local school, and left the area slightly isolated from the rest of the city.

It recommends working with residents to shape a vision based around a new heart for Packmoor.

Cabinet is also set to approve the principle of making council-owned land available to support the scheme.

The report notes that potential priorities for investment could include healthcare, shops, bus provision, active travel, a better range of housing, and high-quality public space.

The report notes the local community would be "put front and centre" of a six-week engagement exercise, to be carried out by Augarde.

The vision will aim to address well-known issues in Packmoor, including the lack of a shopping options, a poor bus service, falling numbers at the primary school and significant congestion on key roads at peak hours.

A shortage of high-quality, affordable housing has made it harder for people to stay in Packmoor long-term and live near to their friends and families.

The vision will aim to remove constraints in a way that maintains the character of the area as an independent village. It aims to creates a more cohesive sense of community and enhance the well-being and lifestyle of current and future residents.

Packmoor, a village on the northern edge of Stoke-on-Trent, originally consisted of farmhouses and farmland. It grew rapidly in the early 20th century, when largely terraced houses were built to support workers of the local Chatterley Whitfield mines.

Cabinet is expected to approve the consultation at a meeting on Tuesday, December 10.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker - Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s cabinet member for transport, regeneration and infrastructure - said: “We are committed to building thriving communities which prioritise well-being and deliver the things that people need.

“Packmoor is a unique and important part of the fabric of Stoke-on-Trent, but the way it has developed has left it with a lack of facilities and long-standing problems with connectivity and falling numbers at the primary school.

“We have a real opportunity to work with the residents of Packmoor to develop a vision which solves these problems and finally delivers a true heart for the village.

“This needs to be a true partnership and I look forward to hearing from as many people as possible during the consultation.”