Ouch!

📸 Staffordshire Past Track ☝️

No, I have an interest in Welsh football and defunct Football League clubs

That's great to hear

And that - alongside local government reorganisation - is hampering plan-making

There have been many brownfield sites developed for housing around Stoke over the past 20 years

The last Local Plan was under the 2004 LDF regs. So they did a Core Strategy which was a spatial plan (with Newcastle), but didn't do the second part which was site allocations. The last Local Plan which allocated sites was City Plan 2001, adopted in 1993

It has helped in terms of trying to justify green belt release. Stoke's challenge is their new housing target. And here's a fun fact for you: Stoke haven't allocated a site for development in a Local Plan since the early 1990s

But as David pointed out, possibly no money for them? The difference was, Stoke, for almost a decade, was showered with money (you could argue it wasn't enough....)

In mid-Lincs, it sounds like a lack of imagination may be an issue? I'd love to have a look at Sleaford Maltings

Stoke has run out of brownfield sites that are anywhere near viable. Given the policy focus in the city since the HMR days in the early 2000s, it shouldn't really be a surprise, but most people won't have it. And of course, most don't understand the complexities (not their fault mind)

I have no idea why a centre left government has a problem with this combination, but they appear to.

Strategic planning + public housing please