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ST. MODWEN SUBMITS PLANNING APPLICATION FOR NEXT PHASE OF ETRURIA VALLEY IN THE HEART OF STOKE-ON-TRENT

St. Modwen,the UK’s leading regeneration specialist,has submitted two outline planning applications for the final phase of its growing Etruria Valley and Festival Park development, which could create a further 900 new jobs in the region if approved.

The two applications form the third phase of Etruria Valley, covering a total area of 50.4 acres, and will provide space for at least 575,000 sq ft of manufacturing, logistics and distribution facilities. Under the plans, Shelton Boulevard, the main road into Etruria Valley, will be extended and new landscaping provided within and around the scheme.

Phase 2 of Etruria Valley received outline planning consent in 2012 to deliver around 270,000 sq ft of offices and manufacturing, logistics and distribution facilities. These latest applications will cover all St. Modwen’s remaining land at the site.

The Festival Park and Etruria Valley area has been created as a genuine mixed use business park, retail, leisure and entertainment destination in a very sustainable location right at the heart of the City.  More than 1.3 million sq ft of major office and commercial development, retail park, leisure park, 4* star hotel, restaurants and around 100 houses have been delivered to date, together with extensive landscaped areas.

6,000 jobs have been created so far, compared with about 3,500 jobs that were lost when the Steel Works and Rolling Mill closed in 1979 and 2000 respectively. When the final phases are complete, more than 320 acres (providing over 2.1 million sq ft of development) will have been regenerated on the site of the former Shelton Iron and Steel Works, creating more than 7,500 jobs for Stoke-on-Trent.

Mike Herbert, Regional Director for St. Modwen, said: “Etruria Valley has proven to be an extremely popular Business Park location. These plans will bring forward the final phase of the development and enable us to continue the creation of high quality employment space. St. Modwen has been regenerating the site for more than 30 years and is committed to bringing forward these plans, which would further complement the wider Festival Park area.”

St. Modwen was appointed as developer of the Festival Park site by Stoke Council in 1988, following the 1986 Garden Festival and over the last 30 years has extended the original 165 acre Festival Park site by including the derelict former Cobridge Greyhound Stadium and the whole of the remainder of the former steel works. It has been the largest comprehensive regeneration site in North Staffordshire and has brought about a massive transformation from the days when the Steel Works dominated the centre of the area.  St. Modwen has consistently delivered development on the site since the first developments opened on Festival Park in 1989. Festival Park and Etruria Valley have grown to become the premier mixed use Business Park in North Staffordshire.