Published: Monday, 11th August 2025
A highly successful business rate discount scheme, which is helping attract dozens of companies and thousands of high-quality jobs to a key employment site, is set to be extended until 2031.
The Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone (CVEZ), which is a three-mile corridor based in the heart of the city alongside the A500 and extends into neighbouring Newcastle-under-Lyme, is on target to create more than 4,300 jobs by 2028.
The extended and expanded Business Rates Discount Scheme (BRD) means new firms in key industries will pay up to tens of thousands pounds less on their business rates for the first three years of locating there, with the council recouping the cost from future growth.
Latest figures show that 1,969 jobs have been created since the zone was launched in 2016. A big part of its success has been the BRD.
In addition, up to 116 hectares of brownfield land are set to be brought back into use, 250,000 square metres of new floorspace delivered and 90 new businesses located on the CVEZ by 2028.
The business rate discounts were initially due to end in March 2021. However, they were extended for four of the six sites of the zone - Tunstall Arrow, Chatterley Valley East, Cliffe Vale and Highgate & Ravensdale.
Now, if approved by cabinet, the scheme is being extended for a further five years, from March 2026, and will include the Etruria Valley area of the CVEZ – meaning all of the sites in Stoke-on-Trent are covered.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council and cabinet member for economic development, culture and sport, said: “The Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone has been a terrific success so far, bringing in jobs and businesses across a wide range of sectors and transforming a large swathe of former industrial brownfield land into an attractive area for modern businesses.
“So, it absolutely makes sense to extend and expand the business rates discount to help attract further inward investment and give companies the incentive to set up here, adding to the economic prosperity of the area - benefitting everyone.”
How the extended BRD scheme will work:
- Eligible companies will receive three years of BRD, funded from future business rates growth.
- This will cover the first three years of occupancy, up to a maximum of £100,000 per annum.
- The scheme will run from April 2026 to March 2031, with only companies arriving before 31 March 2031 being eligible.
- To be eligible, the applicant must be active in professional services, manufacturing, industrial uses or creative industries.
- Those seeking space for logistics, retail or leisure uses will not be eligible.
- They must also be occupying space on the CVEZ within the city council boundary and be the first occupant in that new space.
- If already located in the North Staffordshire area, companies must demonstrate employment growth of 20 per cent versus space they are moving from, to benefit from the BRD.
In addition, applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria but can demonstrate how they will be of strategic importance to the local economy could be considered.
How CVEZ is set up:
The CVEZ is made up of six sites over 140 hectares of land. The sites are, from north to south:
• Tunstall Arrow: 8.8 Hectares
• Chatterley Valley East: 18.2 Hectares.
• Chatterley Valley West: 38 Hectares
• Highgate/Ravensdale: 38.3 Hectares.
• Etruria Valley: 31.3 Hectares
• Cliffe Vale: 6.2 Hectares
All are located in Stoke-on-Trent apart from Chatterley Valley West (Newcastle-under-Lyme). Stoke-on-Trent City Council has overall accountable responsibility for the scheme and works with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council to deliver the individual projects within it.
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