Stoke-on-Trent City Council has approved plans to transform a long-neglected brownfield site into 140 new homes. The derelict land on Pyenest Street in Shelton has sat empty for nearly a decade. The council will sell the site to developer Placefirst for £1, conditional on securing £12.3 million in government funding through Homes England's viability gap fund.
The scheme will deliver one and two-bedroom apartments alongside family homes with two and three bedrooms. At least 80 per cent of the new homes will be offered as affordable housing at 80 per cent of market rent. No local taxpayer money will be spent on the project – all funding comes from government grants and the developer's own investment.
The Pyenest Street site has been blighted by derelict buildings, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour for years. Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker said the location has been a "visible symbol of decline" for Stoke residents. The new development marks a significant turning point for the area after years of stagnation.
Building costs on the site far exceed what new homes would be worth on the open market, making development financially impossible without external funding. The Homes England grant closes this viability gap and allows the scheme to proceed. This breakthrough deal represents a major step forward for Stoke's regeneration efforts.
The approval signals the start of the process to unlock this key Stoke site. Placefirst must now work to secure the £12.3 million government funding to make the scheme a reality. Once complete, the development will deliver badly needed new homes and breathing space for the Shelton community.