Middleport Pottery funding confirmed
MIDDLEPORT Pottery in Burslem will receive the £8.7m of funding needed to regenerate the site.
The funding idea was first mooted back in December but now it has been confirmed that part of the former Grade II listed Middleport site will be redeveloped, creating workspace units for local creative industry businesses and a new visitor attraction sharing the story of the British ceramics heritage.
The Prince’s Regeneration Trust’s project to regenerate this piece of British industrial heritage is supported by just over £1m from the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government and matched by English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and private donations.
The Government’s Regional Growth Fund is also providing funding for this project.
Communities Minister Baroness Hanham CBE said: “It is excellent that we are able to provide funding, complemented with other Government support through the Regional Growth Fund, to support projects that allow local areas, businesses and people to celebrate and enhance historic traditional industries.
“The ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent needs to be sustained in a way that is fit for the modern world.
“The transformation of derelict old industry sites into useful new workspaces for local businesses is a perfect solution that supports the creative industries, allows long-established skills to be put into action, creates jobs for people looking for the space to develop their ideas and expand their businesses; and helps create a thriving and successful economy.”
Ros Kerslake, chief executive at The Prince’s Regeneration Trust, said:
“Middleport Pottery is home to Burleigh production, but much of the site was sitting unused. We saved the site to keep Burleigh in Burslem and are restoring the remainder of the site to create space for creative enterprise.
“This is a brilliant example of using British heritage assets to drive the local economy and we are hugely thankful to the ERDF for providing support to make this project possible.”
