Victorian pottery to be saved and 100 new jobs created in Stoke-on-Trent
A project to save the last working Victorian pottery in the UK and create more than 100 new jobs in Stoke-on-Trent has secured commitments to receive £5 million of government and private funding.
Middleport Pottery, in Burslem, was acquired by the Prince’s Regeneration Trust in June when it was at serious risk of closure. The project will benefit from £1.7 million of investment from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. This will help refurbish the site into a centre maintaining traditional manufacturing skills, a space for artists and a visitor centre. The project is expected to help drive wider regeneration of the Burslem area.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“I’m pleased we’re able to support the Prince’s Regeneration Trust project through the Regional Growth Fund. This will provide a great boost to the economy in Stoke-on-Trent and create more employment in the area.
The £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund uses public money to fund projects which will create long term jobs, sustainable growth and boost the local economy. The first round of the fund has provisionally awarded £450 million to 50 projects across the country, leading to the creation of 27,000 jobs and more than 100,000 additional supply chain jobs.
Applications for money for the second round of the fund closed on 1 July. Bids are currently being considered by ministers. An announcement on the successful bids in the second round is expected shortly.
Click here for summary details of the bids received in both rounds
Source: BIS
Amanda Frewin
Research & Project Support
