Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Deal projects

Putting the heart back into Knutton

As a former mining community, Knutton was subject to Housing Market Renewal Initiative to stimulate the housing market, regenerate the area and improve the quality of life and environment. A subsequent One Public Estate (OPE) funded masterplan has been drawn up which aims to ‘put the heart back into Knutton’. Town Deal funding will enable delivery of early phases of the masterplan to regenerate Knutton. It will enable housing delivery by addressing viability gaps to bring forward long term vacant sites for redevelopment (with the delivery of 240 new homes).

Other improvements include redevelopment of the Knutton business centre to improve business accommodation. New social and community facilities, a new village hall and village green will be accompanied by improvements to local traffic safety. These interventions would make Knutton a more desirable place for people to live and work, and pump prime investment into the area. Investment in Knutton will build upon the Advance Town Deal scheme to acquire and demolish property in the area to enable delivery of the masterplan.

Cross Street, Chesterton

Chesterton was also the focus of the housing market renewal initiative to regenerate the area. However, it has seen little investment in recent years and experiences low value in the property market. As such, the viability of development projects impacts the ability to enforce change to areas of deprivation without external subsidy. The project proposals are underpinned by a masterplan supported through the Government Estate Regeneration Fund. Town Deal investment would result in much-needed investment within Chesterton to enable delivery of high quality, mixed tenure housing options for the local community. The project proposal also links to Aspire’s wider estate regeneration plan for Chesterton to improve the existing housing stock through external and internal works programmes, presenting the opportunity to channel follow-on investment in this area.

Sub-group membership

• Richard Moore - Aspire

• Carl Copestake - Knights plc

• John Vining - Staffordshire County Council

• Gail Edwards - Staffordshire County Council

• Simon Smith - Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

• Richard Corfe - Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council