Town centre added to heritage at risk register

A town centre has been added to a national list of "at risk" heritage places.

Burslem conservation area, in Stoke-on-Trent, is among new additions to Historic England's Heritage at Risk register for 2025.

The conservation area covers the "historic Georgian core" of the town, which is known as the Mother Town of Stoke-on-Trent, and includes some of the city's most iconic buildings - the Wedgwood Institute, Queens Theatre, Burslem School of Art and the Old Town Hall.

The Grade II* listed Wedgwood Institute in Queen Street had already been included on the register.

Historic England (HE) maintains the register to mark the country's built heritage and ensure places are safeguarded for future generations.

Buildings are added to the list when they are considered at risk of "neglect, decay or inappropriate development".

HE said Burslem conservation area contained a "rich concentration" of late 18th and 19th Century pottery works, workers' housing and civic buildings that reflected the town's pivotal role in the ceramics industry.

"Landmark structures such as the Wedgwood Institute and School of Art, along with the surviving kiln landscapes, illustrate both the prosperity and craftsmanship that once defined Burslem," a spokesperson said.

"Despite its significance, the conservation area has long faced challenges including dereliction, structural decline, and loss of historic fabric."

HE said it had been working with the local authority and had funded building repair schemes and regeneration initiatives aimed at revitalising the town.

Last year, the city council secured £318,966 from HE for repair works to ensure the Wedgwood Institute was weather-tight and safe to access.

There was also a controlled demolition on part of the site as part of efforts to make the building structurally safe.

In addition, plans were being drawn up to bring the Queens Theatre back into use as Kilmister Halls – a 1,000-seat rock venue that would be named after Motorhead frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, who was born in Burslem.

Elsewhere in the city, the Heritage at Risk register includes the Bethesda Chapel in Hanley, St Mark's Church in Shelton and the former Chatterley Whitfield colliery.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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