Design Midlands manages the North Staffordshire Local Design Review Panel continuing its contribution to ensuring high quality, sustainable design that embraces the characteristics of North Staffordshire, exploiting its unique industrial heritage. Our dedicated Local Panel will bring expertise and support to ensuring the best outcomes for the area.
North Staffordshire grew rapidly in the Industrial Revolution. Development followed the line of the coal belt giving rise to significant growth. The Trent and Mersey Canal and development of rail saw North Staffordshire play a leading role in the Industrial Revolution with Wedgwood, Spode, Minton etc becoming household names.
Rapid expansion generated heavy pollution causing pottery and mining owners to move to greenfield sites and this continuous built-up landscape, with the individual Towns becoming less distinct.
In the latter quarter of the 20th C the traditional industries of coal, iron and steel ceased, and local rail lines closed, and the pottery industry much reduced leaving areas derelict and industrial structures abandoned.
Stoke-on-Trent and the wider North Staffordshire Coalfield has a rich and unique legacy; local campaigners wish to see the area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its leading role in the Industrial Revolution, and as the birthplace of Primitive Methodism. The Chatterley Whitfield mine is already recognised as a World Heritage Site and has been declared a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
A programme of reclamation of mining areas has produced new urban landscapes with urban parkland and forest; housing, retail and business parks. It is important that this new development complements the industrial past as well as embrace the growth of digital, creative, hi–tech engineering, and advanced ceramics companies.
To discuss a design review and enabling with Design Midlands please contact us at northstaffordshire@designmidlands.org
Design review is beneficial in a number of ways, it can:
The Design:Midlands Panel comprises of wide range of experts from the built environment field i.e. architects, urban designers, landscape architects, surveyors, sustainability experts, heritage experts etc. who provide expert, independent, impartial advice.
Our multi-disciplinary panel enable us to provide design support and expertise to local authorities, developers and communities.