English Partnerships has agreed to invest £2.9 million into the design and quality standards of 408 new homes to be built by developer Gladedale in the new City Waterside neighbourhood.
 
The investment is in support of RENEW North Staffordshire, the housing market renewal pathfinder, and will be matched by RENEW with a further £2.9 million to help create a unique waterside park for the local community.

The £5.8 million from the City Waterside partners will unlock £55.5 million investment from Gladedale in building the homes – making a total of more than £61 million.

The agreement between partners will complete Gladedale’s Wedgwood Gardens development on the 14.5acre former Johnson Brothers Trent Works site. It is the largest and most central site in City Waterside, where a total of 2,400 new homes are planned alongside the Caldon Canal, just south of Stoke-on-Trent City Centre.

City Waterside is a new urban neighbourhood set on a south facing hill around the tranquil Caldon Canal, just south of Stoke-on-Trent city centre. City Waterside is being promoted by partnership including the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership, English Partnerships, RENEW North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the Housing Corporation, Advantage West Midlands and British Waterways.

Local architecture practice Christopher Taylor Design will develop designs for the scheme.

Work on the new Gladedale homes is expected to begin later this year while the waterside park is due for completion in 2010.