Stoke-on-Trent City Council and social mission developers Capital&Centric have appointed Bowmer + Kirkland for construction landmark ‘Goods Yard’ neighbourhood. Delivery of the district is expected to create around 75 jobs and 12 apprenticeships for local young people. It’s a major moment for the €69m (£60m) project, set to turn the industrial site next to Stoke-on-Trent’s west coast mainline train station into a buzzing new urban district. Once complete, it’ll be packed with 174 new design-led homes for rent; edgy workspaces; indie bars, cafes, and shops; and stacks of green outdoor space open to the public.
This appointment marks rapid progress, with Capital&Centric’s vision for the project only given the green light by the local authority in March. Construction work will now begin in September, including the demolition of some of the existing industrial buildings with no architectural merit. Preparatory work for the new-build apartment blocks and restoration of the stunning vaulted warehouse will then start by the end of the year. It’s estimated the neighbourhood will be completed in 2025.
Cllr Abi Brown, Leader of the City Council, said: “There’s a lot more to get developments started than people often realise, with huge commitment from everyone to get us to this point so quickly. Thanks to our work with partners Capital&Centric, we’ve officially appointed a contractor to build the site meaning activity at the Goods Yard will start rolling imminently. We know that seeing activity on site is when the excitement really starts to build and we can involve local people and businesses in shaping this exciting new destination. The Goods Yard will transform a currently underused, canalside area into a vibrant place for living, working, and having fun. The impact will be widespread from jobs, skills, and new businesses to attracting interest and investment into our brilliant city. With the Goods Yard progressing and other major developments gaining momentum, we are not taking our foot off the accelerator to deliver on our Levelling Up promise.”
The Goods Yard is a major regional investment, one of three in Stoke-in-Trent backed by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund and receiving one of the largest awards for a single project. It’s being delivered by social impact developers Capital&Centric, in collaboration with the Council.
Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital&Centric, said: “It’s been hard to make happen with rapidly rising construction costs and an uncertain economic outlook, but this shows the power of partnerships with the public and private sectors. Everyone is itching to see the Goods Yard become reality, so this is a mega moment that paves the way for a new future for Stoke on Trent. This is a pioneering project that will act as a catalyst for yet more investment. We’ve got stacks of good will locally to create an amazing neighbourhood, one that becomes a real melting pot of different people, businesses and community uses. We’ve a few things up our sleeves to make sure local people and groups can get involved and start enjoying the Goods Yard in the coming months and years, but our main priority right now is to get on and deliver at the site.”
