Yesterday, a meeting of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's councillors officially received the petition raised by local residents and supported by the Meir Park Residents Association and signed by over 1,100 residents. Lead petitioner Ali Dhatt was absolutely fantastic in putting forward the anger and frustration of residents, and it was great to see a number of residents in the public gallery.
You can see the webcast of the meeting here City Council - Thursday 27 March 2025, 2:30pm - Stoke-on-Trent City Council Webcasting
The official response from the city council was the recognise the concern of residents, but acknowledge that without a planning application having been submitted, there was no decision for them to make. However, I spoke at the cabinet member who was very sympathetic and keen to offer support as the situation in Meir Park is echoed across the city, with similar small plots that weren't transferred at the time of site completion being subsequently sold on and development threatened.
I made the point in my speech at full council that Meir Park is actually one of the city's first brownfield residential development sites, having previously been home to the Meir Aerodrome. The character of the area - the wide verges - has been recognised previously by the Planning Inspectorate, and it's something that makes the area appealing to residents. My hope is that the city council continues to uphold these principles. They wouldn't go far wrong by replication developments as nice as Meir Park is!
You can hear my speech below.
