Demolition work has begun on two former factory buildings in Stoke-on-Trent. The Old Twyford Buildings in Etruria, located along the A500 within the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone, have been knocked down following permission granted this summer.
The derelict site has been vacant for many years. According to a council officer's report, the buildings are in visibly poor repair, with deteriorating brickwork, boarded or broken windows, and signs of long-term neglect. The site housed large amounts of industrial material and was hit by a major fire 14 years ago.
History of the site
Production at the Garner Street site by Twyford Bathrooms ended in 1990, when all manufacturing and warehousing moved to the company's Alsager factory. The building has remained unused since.
Until 2022, the building contained industrial material packed into huge bales. The fire service used drones with temperature-checking equipment to regularly monitor the site due to collapse risk.
Local concern
Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell has previously said the state of the site had "soured negotiations" for investment in the city. He welcomed the demolition permission, saying the building "had been an eyesore on our city for too long" and that clearance had taken too long.
Former MP Jo Gideon, who represented the area between 2019 and 2024, described the site as the "biggest environmental challenge" she faced during her time in office.
Demolition plans
The demolition application was submitted by WS Storage Solutions Limited. The council said the work will be carried out in phases to minimise impact on the surrounding area. Authorities have been working to invest in infrastructure and remediation of brownfield land around the site to enable redevelopment of the enterprise zone area.
