A derelict parcel of land in central Hanley, containing a half-built block of flats and a second vacant plot with long-expired planning permission, is being offered for sale at auction, raising fresh questions about stalled projects on prime Stoke-on-Trent land.
City-centre site up for sale
The site, located between the Caldon Canal and Windlass Grove, features an incomplete development of six flats where construction work began but was never finished. The auction particulars give a minimum guide price of £80,000 for that plot.
A second parcel on the same area is also being sold. That plot benefits from planning permission dating back to 2006 for seven four-bedroom houses and carries a minimum guide price of £100,000.
"The site was part of a wider regeneration scheme on the former Eagle Pottery site which was completed by Redrow Homes in 2006/07."
The two lots will be offered at an auction taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel on Festival Park, with proceedings due to start at 6.30pm on Monday 26 October.
Background and context
Both plots sit within an area that was previously redeveloped as part of the Eagle Pottery regeneration. The original scheme — completed by Redrow Homes in 2006/07 according to the sale particulars — brought new housing to the former industrial site, but these remaining parcels have not been brought into use.
Overgrown vegetation and the unfinished six-flat block now present a striking contrast to the surrounding completed properties and the adjacent canal, and the auction will be watched closely by local developers, investors and residents who have campaigned about dereliction and piecemeal development in the city centre.
- Plot A: partially built block of six flats — guide price £80,000
- Plot B: land with planning permission from 2006 for seven four-bedroom houses — guide price £100,000
- Auction location: DoubleTree by Hilton, Festival Park; start time 6.30pm, 26 October
What the sale could mean for Hanley
If the plots attract credible bidders, the auction could deliver a route to completion or redevelopment more in keeping with the wider estate. A successful sale would remove a visible example of stalled construction within walking distance of Hanley town centre and its retail and leisure facilities.
However, there are practical and financial hurdles. The partially constructed block will require assessment for structural integrity, building regulation compliance and possible remediation before any finishing work can begin. The land with older planning permission may also need an updated planning application to reflect current design standards and local plan policies.
For neighbouring residents the immediate questions are practical: who will take responsibility for tidying the overgrown areas, and whether the new owner will commit to accelerating work or leave the site fenced and dormant for another prolonged period.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Part-built flats | Six flats; between Caldon Canal and Windlass Grove; guide price £80,000 |
| Vacant plot | Planning permission (2006) for seven four-bedroom houses; guide price £100,000 |
| Auction | DoubleTree by Hilton, Festival Park — 6.30pm, Monday 26 October |
The parcels form part of the legacy of the Eagle Pottery redevelopment. While part of that scheme delivered new housing more than a decade ago, these remaining lots illustrate how regeneration can stall and leave visible gaps in neighbourhoods.
Local stakeholders — from council planning officers to nearby homeowners — will be keen to see whether the auction produces buyers with the resources and intent to finish or repurpose the land. For a city seeking to maintain momentum in its town-centre renewal, bringing such sites back into productive use would be a modest but welcome step.
Further information on the auction and the full legal pack for the sites is available through the auctioneer's particulars.
