£1.9m Longton Improvement Scheme set to transform town centre and transport links

Major improvements worth £1.9 million are set to be delivered to Longton’s public spaces – to encourage more visitors and support local businesses.

The Longton Improvement Scheme will be funded with part of the multi-million-pound grant awarded to the city from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, combined with additional pots of government money to deliver a total investment of £1.9 million for the town.

The scheme will make it easier and safer to walk and cycle, create more welcoming public spaces, and strengthen public transport connections. It will help to increase footfall and encourage people to spend more time in the town.

Transport improvements will also boost bus services and help reduce congestion in the town centre.

The project forms the next phase of the city’s £34.6 million Transforming Cities Fund programme which has already upgraded areas around Stoke and Longton railway stations as well as College Road.

The proposals have been subject to public consultation this summer and extensive feedback from residents has been used in shaping the final plans.

The city council’s cabinet is set to approve the plans at a meeting on 16 September.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said: “Longton has always been more than just a place on the map. It’s a proud town where people raise their families, open their shops, and greet their neighbours in the street.

“For generations, people here in Longton have worked hard and looked out for one another. And they deserve a town centre that works just as hard for them.

"That’s what this project is about. We’re bringing together three major funding streams: the Transforming Cities Fund, the Bus Service Improvement Plan, and the Levelling Up Fund, so we can do more for Longton, faster and better.

"We’re making it easier to walk between the bus and rail stations. We’re creating more welcoming public spaces where you can stop and talk to a friend, and we’re building stronger links between the high street and the retail parks. Because when it's easier and more inviting for people to come into town, local businesses get a real boost.

"This is all about giving people a reason to believe in their town again, to feel proud when they bring their family or friends to visit. And if we get this right, the impact will last for years. Because when we invest in our people and our proud spaces, we build something far bigger than bricks and mortar."