Work has started on transforming Times Square in Longton town centre as part of a major regeneration project led by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
It will create a new public space outside the town hall entrance, with an accessible plaza that will provide seating, new paving and tree planting to create a welcoming gateway to the town.
The £1.9 million project 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.
The revitalisation of the area – backed by hundreds in a consultation held last year – will see a network of improvements to pedestrian links between the rail station, bus station, town centre and the Tesco retail park.
Revised traffic layouts in Times Square, coupled with upgraded traffic signals, pedestrian crossings and the creation of a red route, meaning drivers cannot stop, will improve circulation and reduce congestion. The renewal of traffic signals will reduce the delay to buses and restrift obstructive parking.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, growth and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see work begin on what promises to be a new era for Longton town centre.
“Once completed, these enhancements will not only offer modern, accessible and greener transport but – with wider, high-quality paved walkways with railings and better lighting – we hope they will act as an inviting hub for residents, visitors and local businesses alike.
“In addition to moving one step closer to establishing a real focal point with the pedestrianised plaza outside the entrance to the town hall, both Baths Passage and Strand Passage are also undergoing their own series of enhancement works. This will see them function as both high-quality walking routes and welcoming public spaces, improving how people experience Longton town centre.
“However, I’d urge those in Longton not to forget that, despite these enhancements, local businesses are open as usual.”
Works will be carried out in stages in order to minimise disruption to pedestrians and traffic and the council and its contractor will provide regular updates.
To reduce disruption for shoppers, most construction work will be scheduled for Monday to Friday, leaving busy weekends largely unaffected.
Where work is being carried out on the pavements, an adjacent traffic lane will need to be coned off and, in Market Street, the bus stop has already been temporarily relocated further away from Times Square.
The work ongoing at Longton will be complemented by other schemes, such as a mural which is set to be unveiled on Baths Road between Tesco Extra and Argos and is delivered through the Designing Out Crime initiative.
The Longton proposals form part of wider £6.5 million public realm plans, which also include improvements in Burslem and Stoke.
- More articles in the news archive
- Stoke-on-Trent news RSS feed