Derelict shops to be demolished for redevelopment
BBCDerelict shops in a city centre are to be demolished.
The ten empty units on Parliament Row in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, will be knocked-down "in preparation for future development" after HJ Collection's planning application was approved by the city council.
The vacant units were temporarily fenced off in 2024 after debris started falling from the buildings.
The neighbouring Abakhan Fabrics site on Old Hall Street has also been included in the demolition plans. HJ Collection said the former Parliament Row pubs The Burton Stores and Franky's Bar were not part of the planning application but proposals to knock those down would be submitted in the future.
The entire site's demolition was likely to take about 12 weeks, according to planning documents.
The nature of the future redevelopment has not yet been confirmed.
The site was originally meant to be cleared and replaced with a retail development but the plans, which were given the green light in 2015, were never carried out.
Proposals were later approved to convert the upper floors into flats but the structure was deemed to be "deteriorating" and was "no long suitable for occupation or conversion", developers said.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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