The Angel – Issue 3, December 2006

theChristmas

ANGEL

AN UPDATE ON BURSLEM REGENERATION PROGRESS ISSUE 3 December 2006

Early Christmas present for Burslem Go ahead given for millions of pounds in funding See inside

Cryptic note to sign off a good year

By Hugh Edwards, Chairman of The Burslem Regeneration Company

BURSLEM'S future as an attraction to visitors from around the UK, and indeed from around the world, depends on a successful transformation which not only draws on its literary and industrial heritage, but which also showcases the world's best living ceramics industry.

We are very close to announcing exciting plans to bring the town's indoor market back into use.

A great deal of work has gone into sourcing imaginative proposals for the building which, if developed correctly, will have a ripple effect, breathing new life into the town, filling empty shops, the hotel, the restaurants and giving Burslem a national, and international purpose and reputation once more.

Drawing on the town's critically important attributes both past and present - will attract the new pounds it so desperately needs.

It will build on the successes of 2006, the millions of pounds of funding attracted, the new homes and businesses... a new future for the town we care about so much.

In all our work we are weaving a fabric that is attractive to the visitors we need and who want to come here as they used to do.

The next step for Burslem is the iconic market site scheme which will fire the imagination, be a source of pride, and a celebration of everything good about the town's past; present and future.

On that cryptic, but exciting note, may I wish you all - and our Mother Town - a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2007.

2 THE ANGEL

Inspecting the progress of restoration work on the old courthouse are, left to right, Peter Quincy, City Council Conservation Project Officer, Aktar Choudhury, Chief Executive of the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone (NSRZ), Adrian Tinsley, a Director of Moorland Pottery, and Andrew James, NSRZ Regeneration Projects Manager. In the background pressure washing of the old courthouse facade is being carried out.

Justice to be done to

old courthouse W

ORK is gathering pace on an innovative North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone-backed scheme to transform a historic building in Burslem.

The old courthouse in Moorland Road is being refurbished, restored and converted into four enterprise units to provide start-up space for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the creative sector.

The front of the building has now been pressure washed to return it to its former glory and internal refurbishments are well underway.

Other environmental improvements to the exterior will include the provision of cobbled car parking spaces adjacent to the building.

NSRZ Chief Executive Aktar Choudhury said: “Burslem is establishing itself as the creative quarter of Stoke-on-Trent thanks to a series of imaginative, multi-million pound regeneration schemes. The Courthouse enterprise units will be targeted at businesses looking for grow-on space and will provide an important stepping stone for expanding firms.

“The aim is to create a hi-tech design-focused cluster which will contribute to Burslem’s creative heritage and add to the town’s appeal

as a visitor attraction.”

The old courthouse is owned by Moorland Pottery, which manufacturers vintage kitchenware, giftware and creative artware from the adjoining Chelsea Works, a Grade II listed building.

Moorland Pottery Director Jonathan Plant said: “Thanks to the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone grant funding, we now have an excellent opportunity to convert the courthouse building into enterprise spaces and give something back to the local community.”

The old courthouse building project is set to be completed by the end of January. Any fledgling businesses interested in setting up in the enterprise units should call Jonathan at Moorland Pottery on tel. 01782 834631.

Cover picture CAROL singing by the Christmas tree in Burslem town centre are pupils from John Baskeyfield VC school, left to right, Rebecca Lawton, aged six, Andrew Zyskowski, 10, Leia Foulkes, nine, and Jake Pankhurst, five.

Grant aid for new job-creating enterprise centre

N

EARLY £500,000 in grants from the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone has been approved for two prestigious community projects at Port Vale’s stadium.

The club has been successful in gaining £245,000 worth of funding towards the creation of a new enterprise centre on the first floor of its Lorne Street Stand development.

The £830,000 project will create 20 serviced offices for fledgling businesses. And the Vale Football in the Community Scheme – a registered charity – has won a bid for £248,000 in aid towards the £395,000 cost of building a new gymnasium and creating additional classrooms at its base at the Hamil Road End of Vale Park.

Peter Cooke, the Regeneration Zone’s Programme Manager for Enterprise and Innovation, said: “These two projects have multiple benefits for the Regeneration of Burslem. The enterprise centre will provide much-needed offices for start-up businesses and will, in turn, create new jobs. It will also help Vale to complete its Lorne Street Stand and develop its community use.

“The new gymnasium will be a superb facility for the people of Burslem and surrounding areas and will enable the existing gym to be converted to more classroom and ancillary facilities in order to further extend the club’s excellent community activities.”

Mr Cooke emphasised that the two projects were considered as completely separate applications for financial support – but both bids more than met the Regeneration Zone’s strict

Peter Cooke, RZ Programme Manager, right, and Vale Chairman Bill Bratt pictured on the site of the planned enterprise centre at Vale Park.

Funding go-ahead for

Vale Park projects criteria for the funding which comes from Advantage West Midlands.

He added that the large car parks near to the Lorne Street Stand made it an ideal location for an enterprise centre. New businesses could take advantage of other facilities at Vale Park such as meeting rooms, catering and reception services.

“More than 4,000 jobs have

Jim Cooper, Manager of Vale’s Football in the Community Scheme, shows where the new gymnasium will be built.

been lost in the Burslem area in recent years and enterprise centres such as this are one way of replacing them,” said Mr Cooke. “Many start-up businesses will be attracted to having their first office at Vale Park – it’s a prestigious address and an exciting environment.”

Vale Chairman Bill Bratt said: “I’m delighted that the bids for financial support have been successful.

“The club are contributing a great deal of time and money to these projects which shows our commitment to ensuring the Vale is a true community club.

Both developments will be a boost for the regeneration of Burslem.”

Mr Bratt added that the club are financing the schemes – along with the completion of the Lorne Street stand – with a £1.2 million loan from the City Council which was given to extend community activities at Vale Park.

Joan Walley, Stoke-on-Trent North MP and Burslem Regeneration Company Director, welcomed news of the RZ funding for the Vale Park projects.

She said: “Increasingly football league clubs across the country are reinventing themselves as a hub of community activity.

“From the outset I have encouraged Vale and its public sector partners at the City Council and the Regeneration Zone to make the most of opportunities available so that people in Burslem and the surrounding areas can benefit.”

Meanwhile, talks between Vale and the Council are at an advanced stage over the proposed siting of a multipurpose children’s centre on the ground floor of the stand. Vale also have plans for a 300-seat banqueting facility – to be called the Robbie Williams Suite – on the stand’s second floor.

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■ Inspire Development Director Ian Ridgeway pictured at Middleport Wharf which is at the heart of the community regeneration masterplan.

Plans to meet

aspirations C

OMMUNITIES in and around Burslem are being urged to have their say on the massive redevelopment to transform the area’s housing market.

Developers have now been appointed to drive forward masterplanning in key areas like Middleport, Cobridge and around the centre of the Mother Town.

Inspire Developments – part of construction giant Seddon – have been quick to reassure residents that their views will be taken on board as plans are drawn up to reflect the needs and aspirations of individual communities.

Development Director Ian Ridgeway said a great deal of effort would go into canvassing residents’ opinions and putting together comprehensive proposals to improve all aspects of life.

He said: “We aim to provide short term wins, but the main transformation is expected to take anything up to 15 years.

“The bottom line is that people living in these areas are the bedrock of the community. We want them to play their part in the masterplanning process and we want them to stay once the improvements are in place. Our message is ‘Get involved – now

is a very important time and we are definitely listening’.”

Improving standards of housing comes high on the agenda set by Inspire Developments, and by RENEW North Staffordshire who have brought the developers on board.

Ian Ridgeway said: “It is vital that we achieve the right mix of housing, and local people’s views will help us provide just that.”

A series of events will be staged in the area to include local people in the masterplanning process.

People have chance to shape the future MAJOR steps forward have been taken in the joint City Council /Renew North Staffordshire programme of regeneration for residential communities in Burslem and Middleport.

A community Steering Group has been formed to ensure that local people have their say in the planning process by becoming involved from an early stage to help develop a regeneration plan that is realistic and has the support of the people who live in the 4 THE ANGEL

areas. Around 40 people attended the first meeting of the Steering Group in November. Most were local residents and others included those with businesses in the area, local authority staff and representatives of the various agencies involved.

After their initial meeting the Steering Group met again in early December to finalise their terms of reference and look at how they can contribute towards moving the planning process forward.

Peter Bevington, an independent community consultant working with the City Council and Renew to involve local people in the planning and building stages, said: “While the focus will primarily be on the housing market, it will be also be necessary to obtain funding from other sources for facilities such as schools that will be needed to support those who will live in the regenerated parts of Burslem and Middleport.”

Andy Tharp, Communication Manager for RENEW North Staffordshire said ‘We have established Community Steering Groups in all the major areas where RENEW is active. They have proved to be excellent vehicles through which local people can express their views and actively influence the future regeneration of their neighbourhoods. We are delighted that residents in the Middleport area have responded so positively.”

Providing the financial

building blocks

for regeneration D

EDICATED regeneration specialists are working behind the scenes providing the financial bricks and mortar to build a better future for Burslem.

Few members of the public will have ever come across the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone team, but their work touches the lives of virtually everyone who lives and works in the Mother Town.

The Regeneration Zone’s objectives include strengthening the economy, providing skills and jobs, investing in improvements to provide a high quality environment and infrastructure, and making sure the community benefits from this investment, making North Staffordshire a place where people choose to live, work and invest.

So far the Regeneration Zone – set up and funded by the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands – has invested £4.5million in Burslem to fund projects such as the Burslem Enterprise Centre, the live/work units at 7-11 Queen Street and the Centre of Vocational Excellence at the Moorland Road college campus.

Another £4.5million will be invested over the next three years to help fund the refurbishment of the Wedgwood Institute, projects to improve the physical appearance of buildings in the town and a number of property acquisitions.

Aktar Choudhury, Chief Executive of the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone, said: “ We are working hard to make sure our investment provides the best opportunities for Burslem and its residents. Many of the improvements around the town centre have been funded by AWM through the NSRZ. “The positive impact of this investment is attracting private sector money and new economic activity in the area, which is good for Burslem and the City.”

positive impact of this investment “The is attracting private sector money and new economic activity in the area ” Aktar Choudhury Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone

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Coach will help to turn ideas into new businesses BURSLEM now has its own “guru” to help people with a bright idea to turn it into a successful business and help boost the economy of the Mother Town.

A Business Coach has been appointed to encourage budding entrepreneurs in the community to set up and run their own enterprises.

The scheme is open to anyone with an idea, skill, hobby or interest that has the potential to make the dream of starting their own business come true.

A partnership of housing company Touchstone and BizFizz has won funding from the City Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund for the two year initiative to support economic regeneration in Burslem and Middleport.

The two-year project aims to start up five businesses in 2007 and a further 12 in 2008.

The Business Coach is Carolyn Powell who brings a wealth of commercial experience to help get enterprises off the ground and offer ongoing advice and mentoring.

John Webbe, Regeneration Manager for Touchstone, said: “The Business Coach scheme is extremely flexible and open to all kinds of potential business ideas, including those that can operate from home.

“A lot is going on in Burslem and Middleport to regenerate housing and the environment, but economic regeneration is just as vital and this initiative will support the efforts to reinvigorate the local economy.”

For more details about the Business Coach scheme contact Touchstone on 01782 525570.

6

THE ANGEL

A balcony feature on the top floor of the Institute.

Burslem Regeneration Company Director David Rogers and City council Principal Regeneration Officer Rob Gatensbury look at plans for the restoration work.

The Victorian lecture theatre with its wooden pews will be fully refurbished for modern use.

INSTITUTE

Approval for £5.4 million restoration of

architectural treasure W

ORK on a £5.4 million project to restore Burslem’s prime architectural treasure, the Wedgwood Institute, will begin in May. Funding has been approved for the threestorey Grade ll* listed building which currently is only partly used on the ground floor as a library – with more than 1,600 square metres of the historic structure in a state of dilapidation.

The scheme involves the complete repair and renovation of the Institute to expand the library facilities, transform vacant areas into 17 office units and create a 40-seat community lecture theatre.

“It is the most exciting and the most challenging project in the regeneration of the Mother Town,” said Burslem Regeneration Company Director David Rogers.

“We are over the moon that the money has been made available. It is such a majestic building and its state of disrepair is one of the saddest sights in Burslem.

“We will now see the Wedgwood Institute restored to its former glory and with a modern purpose in the future regeneration of the town.”

The finance “pot” is made up from three funding partners – £2.5 million from Advantage West Midlands, accessed through the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone; £1.5 from Stoke-onTrent City Council and £1.4 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

Initial works will include a new roof and clearing up the mess left by generations of feral pigeons which have made the building their roosting grounds.

City council Principal Regeneration Officer Robert Gatensbury said: “Our first task is to make sure the building is water-tight and sealed. We will then be re-wiring, installing a lift, providing high-speed broadband connections for the office units and generally repairing and refurbishing the interior.”

Other features include the restoration of a central courtyard area to create a covered atrium and the sympathetic re-working of a Victorian lecture theatre – complete with its original wooden pews – for modern use.

The building’s pièce de résistance, its magnificent facade with an array of sculpture and fine mosaics, will be cleaned and restored by a specialist company.

Mr Gatensbury added that architects will soon be appointed and the contract will be put out to tender with a schedule of a May start and completion by December the following year.

Andrew James, North Staffs Regeneration Zone’s Regeneration Projects Manager, said: “This is a prime opportunity to inject some new life into Burslem and bring a historic iconic building back to it’s former glory, and make Queen Street a real focal point for the emerging creative cluster.

“The project is just one of the many that the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone is and will be funding to improve the appearance of the town centre, and make Burslem a more attractive proposition for those wishing to visit, invest, and live in the Mother Town.”

factfile:

■ Rudyard Kipling’s father, John Lockwood Kipling, and Robert Edgar designed the building which took six years to erect.

■ It was named in honour of Josiah Wedgwood as the building stands on the site of the Brick House pottery works which was rented by the great Master Potter from 1762 to 1770.

■ A foundation was laid by William Gladstone – later to become Prime Minister – in October 1863.

■ The imposing facade contains twelve huge terracotta tiles depicting the months of the year. Also displayed are carvings of the people of the Potteries performing their different skills, together with a statue of Josiah Wedgwood.

Above, the magnificent facade with its fine sculptures and fine mosaics.

Left, the Burslem crest mosaic which adorns the floor of the entrance.

Right, the statue of Josiah Wedgwood which looks down on Queen Street.

■ The Institute was built with funds raised by public subscription to make arts, science and literature available to all.

■ During the late nineteenth century the Institute was used by ceramic artist William Moorcroft, author Arnold Bennett and pioneer of radio Oliver Lodge.

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Coach will help to turn ideas into new businesses BURSLEM now has its own “guru” to help people with a bright idea to turn it into a successful business and help boost the economy of the Mother Town.

A Business Coach has been appointed to encourage budding entrepreneurs in the community to set up and run their own enterprises.

The scheme is open to anyone with an idea, skill, hobby or interest that has the potential to make the dream of starting their own business come true.

A partnership of housing company Touchstone and BizFizz has won funding from the City Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund for the two year initiative to support economic regeneration in Burslem and Middleport.

The two-year project aims to start up five businesses in 2007 and a further 12 in 2008.

The Business Coach is Carolyn Powell who brings a wealth of commercial experience to help get enterprises off the ground and offer ongoing advice and mentoring.

John Webbe, Regeneration Manager for Touchstone, said: “The Business Coach scheme is extremely flexible and open to all kinds of potential business ideas, including those that can operate from home.

“A lot is going on in Burslem and Middleport to regenerate housing and the environment, but economic regeneration is just as vital and this initiative will support the efforts to reinvigorate the local economy.”

For more details about the Business Coach scheme contact Touchstone on 01782 525570.

6

THE ANGEL

A balcony feature on the top floor of the Institute.

Burslem Regeneration Company Director David Rogers and City council Principal Regeneration Officer Rob Gatensbury look at plans for the restoration work.

The Victorian lecture theatre with its wooden pews will be fully refurbished for modern use.

INSTITUTE

Approval for £5.4 million restoration of

architectural treasure W

ORK on a £5.4 million project to restore Burslem’s prime architectural treasure, the Wedgwood Institute, will begin in May. Funding has been approved for the threestorey Grade ll* listed building which currently is only partly used on the ground floor as a library – with more than 1,600 square metres of the historic structure in a state of dilapidation.

The scheme involves the complete repair and renovation of the Institute to expand the library facilities, transform vacant areas into 17 office units and create a 40-seat community lecture theatre.

“It is the most exciting and the most challenging project in the regeneration of the Mother Town,” said Burslem Regeneration Company Director David Rogers.

“We are over the moon that the money has been made available. It is such a majestic building and its state of disrepair is one of the saddest sights in Burslem.

“We will now see the Wedgwood Institute restored to its former glory and with a modern purpose in the future regeneration of the town.”

The finance “pot” is made up from three funding partners – £2.5 million from Advantage West Midlands, accessed through the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone; £1.5 from Stoke-onTrent City Council and £1.4 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

Initial works will include a new roof and clearing up the mess left by generations of feral pigeons which have made the building their roosting grounds.

City council Principal Regeneration Officer Robert Gatensbury said: “Our first task is to make sure the building is water-tight and sealed. We will then be re-wiring, installing a lift, providing high-speed broadband connections for the office units and generally repairing and refurbishing the interior.”

Other features include the restoration of a central courtyard area to create a covered atrium and the sympathetic re-working of a Victorian lecture theatre – complete with its original wooden pews – for modern use.

The building’s pièce de résistance, its magnificent facade with an array of sculpture and fine mosaics, will be cleaned and restored by a specialist company.

Mr Gatensbury added that architects will soon be appointed and the contract will be put out to tender with a schedule of a May start and completion by December the following year.

Andrew James, North Staffs Regeneration Zone’s Regeneration Projects Manager, said: “This is a prime opportunity to inject some new life into Burslem and bring a historic iconic building back to it’s former glory, and make Queen Street a real focal point for the emerging creative cluster.

“The project is just one of the many that the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone is and will be funding to improve the appearance of the town centre, and make Burslem a more attractive proposition for those wishing to visit, invest, and live in the Mother Town.”

factfile:

■ Rudyard Kipling’s father, John Lockwood Kipling, and Robert Edgar designed the building which took six years to erect.

■ It was named in honour of Josiah Wedgwood as the building stands on the site of the Brick House pottery works which was rented by the great Master Potter from 1762 to 1770.

■ A foundation was laid by William Gladstone – later to become Prime Minister – in October 1863.

■ The imposing facade contains twelve huge terracotta tiles depicting the months of the year. Also displayed are carvings of the people of the Potteries performing their different skills, together with a statue of Josiah Wedgwood.

Above, the magnificent facade with its fine sculptures and fine mosaics.

Left, the Burslem crest mosaic which adorns the floor of the entrance.

Right, the statue of Josiah Wedgwood which looks down on Queen Street.

■ The Institute was built with funds raised by public subscription to make arts, science and literature available to all.

■ During the late nineteenth century the Institute was used by ceramic artist William Moorcroft, author Arnold Bennett and pioneer of radio Oliver Lodge.

THE ANGEL 7

Magic of Christmas comes to the town THE magic of Christmas came to Burslem as the town entered into the festive spirit with fun for all the family.

It may have been Santa’s busiest time – but he paid a special visit with two of his elves to the Burslem Arts and Crafts Christmas Festival.

The Festival on Saturday December 9th was one of the seasonal highlights for the Mother Town.

There was plenty for the youngsters-including free entry to the Craft Club in the Ceramica shop, photo portraits and the chance to make their own headdresses with help from the Cultural Sisters and Swan Bank Methodist Church.

Building on the strong connection to the arts in Queen Street, a large arts and crafts market was held in the Burslem School of Art which displayed a big decorated Christmas tree donated by Thompson Performance Cars of Stone.

The town centre came alive with the sound of carol singing, street entertainers, festive food and drink, beer sampling and a hog roast.

This is the third successful Arts and Crafts Festival to be held in the town and planning has already started for the next one – on May 26th 2007.

Amanda Bromley, of Burslem Arts and Crafts Festival, said: “While creating the great traditional Christmas spirit of yesteryear, we are looking forward to an exciting new year that will be good for the future of Burslem.”

Carol singers were also in fine voice for the official switch-on of the lights on the town centre Christmas Tree in Swan Square.

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THE ANGEL

Burslem butcher Fred Miller and his wife Christine with their 50,000th turkey.

Butcher serves up turkey milestone F

AMILY butcher Fred Miller is set to sell his 50,000th Turkey this Christmas after two decades of serving the Mother Town.

His shop in Queen Street is a favourite with Burslemites and other customers who travel from far and wide to buy their meat.

Fred’s festive fare has been a traditional part of Christmas celebrations every year in thousands of homes – and people rave about his tasty trimmings such as home-made sausage and bacon rolls.

Now, the former Chairman of the Burslem Chamber of Trade is looking forward to welcoming new customers as home building

moves at a pace at sites around the town.

“The new homes are the key to the town’s future and people living there will be Burslem’s life-blood,” said Fred.

“There used to be a marvellous bustling atmosphere in the town at Christmas and I would love to see those days return.”

From his Burslem shop, Fred supplies top restaurants, hotels and public houses throughout the Midlands and North Wales.

He added: “It’s great to see significant money being invested in Burslem and there seems to be a combined will to ensure its regeneration for future generations.”

Denry’s captures spirit of goodwill DENRY’S Restaurant, decked out in seasonal Victorian/Edwardian decorations, is one of many businesses capturing the spirit of goodwill. Diners are being asked to bring with them gifts to be distributed to disadvantaged children.

Chef Wayne Doyle has doubled the clientele since he bought the eatery two years ago – and has opened up the first floor as an additional eating and special function area in

time for Christmas.

And he will be serving up home made Italian meals when he opens a new restaurant next door in the former flower shop on the corner of St Johns Square and Market Place in the summer of 2007.

Wayne, who has cooked all over the world before returning to his native city, said: “I am proud to be putting Burslem back on the map.

It’s a town with great potential.”

Smartening ‘gateways’ into town T

HE New Year will bring a welcome new look to two key approach routes to the centre of Burslem.

Work will start soon on the gateway projects that will give visitors a positive image of the town as they drive along the busy east-west corridor, and both are scheduled for completion by the end of March 2007.

One of the gateway projects will involve improvements to the frontages of shops and other business premises that line the route from the roundabout at the top of Newcastle Street, close to the Kwik Save supermarket, to the Sir Henry Doulton statue in Market Place.

The other project centres on a section of Moorland Road from the advertising hoardings near to Burslem police station to the entrance to Burslem Park.

Both are funded by the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone.

A landscaping programme that will include tree planting, new paving and the installation of stainless steel railings will be carried out by Groundwork Stoke-on-Trent.

Much of the work will improve the frontages of ageing buildings like the Burslem Enterprise Centre and the former Albany Works.

A team of volunteers – mainly young adults – will carry out most of the landscaping work as part of Groundwork’s intermediate labour market scheme that provides unemployed people with new

Above, Gareth Morgan, Senior Project Officer for Groundwork’s landscape team, and Sonja Suckling, Landscape Architect for Groundwork, study plans for improvements to the Moorland Road gateway to Burslem. Below, an artist’s impression a paving and planting scheme on the Jackson Street corner section of Moorland Road. skills and work experience.

Gareth Morgan, Senior Project Officer for Groundwork’s landscape team, said: “The volunteers will be mostly from the Burslem area so they will play an important part in the regeneration of their town as well as providing them with skills and experience that will help them gain permanent employment.”

Kevin Birks, Project Co-ordinator for the Burslem Regeneration Company, said: “The projects will improve the appearance of the gateway areas and create a positive impression of Burslem as visitors approach the town.”

Opportunity for new ceramic design talent A WORLD-CLASS Burslem-based ceramic company has launched an exciting competition to encourage and promote design talent in North Staffordshire.

The Moorcroft Open Design Competition will give winners the chance to work with the famous company’s own studio team to turn their design into a Moorcroft piece.

And it was appropriate that those taking part had to hand in their design ideas for a specifically shaped vase at the Burslem Arts and Crafts Christmas Festival when it was held on December 9th. The competition consists of three categories – 4 to 11 year olds, 12 to 16

year olds and 17-plus. The winners will be announced shortly after Christmas and they will see their ideas take shape at the Moorcroft pottery early in the New Year.

The budding designers will work with Moorcroft’s own highly skilled team throughout the production process from tube lining to the painting stage.

Kim Thompson, a director of Moorcroft, said: “Each of the winning designs will be produced as a one-off piece. Our chairman, Hugh Edwards, always has his door open when it comes to discovering new talent in the field of ceramics design, and you never know, the winners

could go on to have their design made by a world class local ceramic company such as Moorcroft.”

Moorcroft are famous for discovering the talent of Emma Bossons, a young freelance painter with no formal training.

Emma is now the youngest living Fellow of the Royal Society of Art and Moorcroft have insured her life for £1 million!

Kim added: “We were delighted to launch the design competition in the Mother Town of the Potteries. We want to encourage local design talent and it is possible that success in the competition will lead to a career opportunity in the ceramic industry.”

THE ANGEL 9

Love is in the air...

LOVE as well as regeneration is in the air, for the town centre’s newest business is-a bridal wear shop.

Roberta’s Bridal in Market Place offers a choice of beautiful but affordable wedding dresses, as well as accessories and Holy Communion wear.

Proprietor Kelly Oram said:” I decided to open the business in Burslem because this is a town that is going places and I believe it will attract many more small independent shops like mine.”

Glam rock festivities THE team hoping to open a community cafe at Burslem’s School of Art are staging a series of exciting events to set toes tapping. Hot on the heels of their Christmas Glam Rock extravaganza at the School, 21st Century Purple Productions – who plan to open the Purpleberry Cafe in 2007 – are putting on a romantic Valentine’s Evening, on February 14, complete with stomping Cajun band and comedian.

For more information contact Will Boyce on 01782 622132.

Christmas bottled CHRISTMAS Ale from Burslem’s very own Titanic Brewery is on sale in the town and billed as “the perfect festive gift.”

The rich, dark beer, with a flavour described as “liquid Christmas cake”, can be bought in 500ml bottles from the Bull’s Head in St John’s Square.

More information is available on the www.titanicbrewery.co.uk website.

10 T H E A N G E L

Urban Vision Chief Executive Chris Taylor, left, and Manager Mick Downs study plans for a new development at Burslem.

Team with a vision of

quality design U

RBAN Vision North Staffordshire is helping to form the big picture of what a regenerated Burslem will look like.

The architecture and urban design centre, based appropriately at the famous Burslem School of Art, provides support and training needed to promote awareness of quality design all over North Staffordshire.

One of the services offered by Urban Vision is a design review panel that evaluates proposals for major developments. The panel has already had an input in the ongoing Sadlers Park housing development and the planned £5.4 million project to repair and refurbish the Wedgwood Institute.

Now Urban Vision North Staffordshire – part of a growing national network of architecture and urban design centres – is expanding by making two key appointments with funding from Advantage West Midlands the City Council and English Heritage, to add to the existing team of five.

One is a professional design consultant with the task to expand Urban Vision’s range of design review services. The other is an education and training officer to run education programmes for

local authority elected members and officers, involve young people in schools and organise master classes for practitioners like designers and architects.

A recent master class was held by national transport expert Peter Piet on how busy roads have been re-designed to become more pedestrian friendly in areas of London like Kensington High Street – cases that have a particular relevance for Burslem town centre.

And during the October school half term break Urban Vision brought the national Big Draw event – a campaign to encourage people to draw – to Ceramica where children caught the “design bug” by sketching their own home.

Mick Downs, Manager of Urban Vision, said: “It is fitting that we are based in the School of Art, a building renowned for good design, because we are promoting design excellence throughout the programme of regeneration for Burslem and North Staffordshire.

“The advice, support and input we provide can have a positive impact on all aspects of the built environment – buildings, town centres and public spaces.”

B

URSLEM is becoming a “hot spot” in North Staffordshire’s efforts to combat the threat of climate change.

The town’s Stoke on Trent College campus is forming the hub of a powerful partnership to provide the sort of renewable energy systems needed to save the planet from an environmental catastrophe.

Superb facilities at the College’s John Seddon Building Technology Centre are being harnessed to train plumbing and heating professionals how to deliver “tomorrow’s technology” today.

The Centre is forming links with heating and plumbing companies like BGC, of Burslem, and Energy Efficiency Centre near Festival Park.

Training is being developed in the skills needed for the new ways of heating and lighting our homes. They include one or more of the following:

Campus is a spot for

something hot ● Solar heating panels for domestic hot water, the fastest growing renewable energy technology across Europe. ● Photo voltaic cell panels that produce electricity to power lights and domestic appliances. ● Geo-thermal heating systems which utilise an underground pumped circulation network that recovers and converts otherwise wasted heat from the earth’s surface into a home heating and hot water system. ● The new generation of energy efficient boilers with over 90 per cent efficiency and able to re-use heat already generated.

● Wind turbines – another “clean” way to generate electricity needed for the home.

All these are viable and sustainable alternatives to conventional energy sources that produce the carbon emissions which are contributing to global warming.

As well as the College facility – which has coveted Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) status – it is planned to provide training for apprentices and existing staff of local companies at the training facility established by Energy Efficiency Centre.

Ken Burgess, Head of the

College’s Faculty of Engineering and Construction, said: “Renewable energy systems are becoming increasingly popular and will play an important role in new constructions and refurbishments going on as part of the regeneration of Burslem and other areas of North Staffordshire.

“It’s appropriate that our Construction Centre plays its part in this initiative to equip local people with the skills and qualifications needed to install renewable energy systems and to meet high levels of energy efficiency now demanded by current building legislation.”

Everybody is on their way to

the forum...

RESIDENTS, traders and employers are being invited to join a new group dedicated to building a better future for the Mother Town.

The first meeting of the Burslem Forum takes place on Thursday January 25th at 7pm at the Ceramica shop and everyone is welcome.

Joan Walley MP, one of the Burslem Regeneration Company’s directors, said: “Burslem is changing and we are appealing to everyone to play their part in shaping its future.

“Many people and organisations have stood by Burslem over the years and will continue to do so. Now we want new blood to join the cause, from people moving into the town to live, to new businesses, community groups and major employers.”

● Burslem Regeneration Company’s board of eight directors meets every month with regeneration partners at the School of Art to work towards improving all aspects of the town’s social and economic future.

In our novel photograph above are four of the directors with Kevin Birks, the City council Programme Co-ordinator for Burslem regeneration, pictured top

right, at the School of Art. The directors are, clockwise from bottom right, City councillor Joy Garner, Chairman of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Strategic Partnership David Rogers, Stoke-on-Trent North MP Joan Walley and retired pottery company Chairman Ed Yorke.

Give us your views PLEASE let us know about your views, ideas and initiatives by telephoning the regeneration company office on

01782 822935 or write to Project Co-ordinator Kevin Birks at Burslem Regeneration Company, Unit 5, School of Art, Queen Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 3EJ. T H E A N G E L 11

Heritage to be preserved in

changing townscape T

HE past, present and future come together in this panoramic picture of the Bournes Bank redevelopment site.

Bulldozers and demolition crews have almost levelled the industrial area once dominated by the Johnson Mathey factory that was one of Burslem’s biggest employers.

Planning permission to build 275 homes on the land – an important phase of the regeneration programme for the Mother Town – has been granted.The land owners are in advanced talks with City Council officers.

Dominating the landscape opened up behind the School of Art are three traditional

“bottlekilns” awarded Grade 2 listed status in 1979 to commemorate the city’s pottery making tradition.

To be more accurate, the protected brick structures are

free standing circular hovels to down draught ovens. They were built for Acme Marls Ltd between 1937 and 1947 to replace older ovens that had been on that site since 1900.

The new housing will need to be designed to blend with the bottle ovens, creating a harmonious mix of the old and the new – and another key piece the regeneration jigsaw.

New 90 home scheme moves ahead BUILDING work on a new 90-home development near Burslem town centre is scheduled to start in Spring.

Outline planning permission has been granted for the scheme on four-and-a-half acres of land off Greenhead Street which was formerly a base for the Bibby Route One haulage company.

Chorley-based reclamation specialists Woodford Land Ltd have acquired the site and are currently carrying out preparation

work including demolition of existing buildings and the treatment of old mine shafts.

Woodford Managing Director Jason Parkinson said there had been strong interest in the site from house builders and they were currently in talks with one company. He added: “The homes will be a mix of appartments, town houses, semis and a few detached houses. We are hopeful that building work will begin in Spring,”

The Angel is produced on behalf of Burslem Regeneration Company by Smith Davis Press