The site of Hanley's brand new arena officially gets its name...
Houses, car parks and a hotel will also be built in Stoke's City Centre
Last updated 17th Jan 2022
Stoke-on-Trent's set to get a new arena, with a boost in houses and a hotel as part of a new plan to regenerate the city.
The area known as the East-West Precinct in Hanley is set to be transformed into a new area called Etruscan Square, with over £20 million being invested into the project as part of the government's Levelling Up Fund.
Why Etruscan?
The name of the arena is a nod to Stoke's past as the home of pottery in the UK, reflecting on the Etruscan society which was also famed for its ancient works in the same field.
Etruria was an ancient region in Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria. The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscans and were a highly civilised people who produced splendid works of art which were greatly admired in the 18th century.
Etruscans have a close relationship with Stoke - as in 1769, Josiah Wedgwood opened the Eturia ceramic factory, which was a staple of the city for over 180 years.
Josiah Wedgwood was inspired by ancient pottery then generally described as Etruscan. In 1769, Josiah Wedgwood opened the Etruria Works ceramic factory, named after the Etruria district of Italy, where black porcelain was being excavated.
A national arena
Etruscan Square, which covers over seven acres of land, is to be developed to include Stoke's first arena, with a capacity of roughly 3,600 people to be used for a variety of conference and cultural activities.
As well as this, just under 300 new homes will be built, alongside a hotel, a 701-space multi-storey car park and 82,000 square feet of commercial space.
Plans to develop the space are due to be submitted in March, with work due to start later this summer.
The scheme is part of an initiative by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to regenerate the city and make the area more attractive. The plan is the largest regeneration project the city has seen in decades.
In addition to the plans at Etruscan Square, there are also proposals for a local tram network around the city.
Estimates from the Council say that the development plan will take about ten years to fully realise.
Five million pounds has already been spent by the Council to clear the East-West Precinct to prepare for the construction of Etruscan Square.
Talking to Greatest Hits Radio, Cllr Dan Jellyman spoke of the benefits the developments would bring to Stoke-on-Trent, helping to 'level-up the city'.
"We've got to invest to grow - it's going to bring high-quality jobs, and it's going to really develop and regenerate our city centre," he said.
"Etruscan Square is going to stand the test of time and is going to invite big investors into Stoke. Liverpool has ONE and Manchester has the Central, but Etruscan Square beats all of them."
Proposals for investors in the commercial space of the Square will be presented to stakeholders, investors and developers at events at Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, in January, and in London next month.