Growth Deal joint plan

The borough lies at the heart of the UK’s major road and rail networks with three planned HS2-compatable stations on our doorstep, in addition to the four international airports within a 45-minute drive time. The borough and county council want to capitalise on our unique location by demonstrating their shared ambitions by seeing an increase and widening choice of housing, additional economic growth, including job creation across the spectrum, including high value, knowledge economy jobs at Keele University and its Science and Innovation Park.

Constellation Partnership

Both councils are members of the Constellation Partnership to ensure that the borough benefits from the likely increase in investor confidence and the housing and employment opportunities that HS2 will bring.

Midlands Engine and Midlands Connect

The Midlands Engine provides a sub-regional vehicle through which key decisions affecting our economy will be made, including distribution of the UK's Shared Prosperity Fund (post-Brexit). It will be vitally important for us to shape and influence its key decisions.

The Midlands Connect strategy identifies rail and road connectivity between the Stoke and Staffordshire hub (Crewe) and the Derby/Nottingham hub (Toton) as a key strategic priority. Kidsgrove railway station, with its close proximity to the HS2 hub at Crewe, provides a genuine opportunity to enhance growth in that town and across the northern parts of the borough by improved connectivity.

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP)

Staffordshire County Council and ourselves are actively engaged with, and continue to participate in, the SSLEP including the Newcastle Employment and Skills Group. The SSLEP aims to create 50,000 jobs within 10 years and the borough is well positioned to contribute to this target with the forecast jobs both at Keele University's Science and Innovation Park and Chatterley Valley.