Urgent safety works at derelict pottery factory

Urgent safety works have been ordered at a fire-hit former pottery factory after inspections found parts of the building posed a safety risk.

The former Wade Ceramics site, on Westport Road in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, was damaged when the fire, believed to be arson, broke out in April 2025.

Emergency works were carried out following the blaze to make the Grade II listed building safer and reduce the risk of further collapse.

But recent inspections had since identified more areas of concern, Stoke-on-Trent City Council confirmed, with the owner of the site instructed to remove impacted sections of the building to reduce the risk to the public.

A Section 77 notice, used where a building is considered dangerous and requires works to make it safe, has been served on the site's owner.

The local authority added that its immediate priority was public safety, but a long-term plan was still needed to secure the future of the building and prevent it from further deterioration.

City councillor, Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for growth, regeneration and transport, said people were tired of seeing historic buildings deteriorate.

"Nobody wants to see parts of a historic building lost, but when buildings are allowed to deteriorate to this point, difficult decisions can become unavoidable and public safety must come first," he added.

Dating back to 1814, the former pottery factory has stood vacant since 2010 after Wade Ceramics moved to new headquarters in Festival Park in Etruria.

The company, which made jugs, bowls and vases for more than 200 years, collapsed into administration in 2022, before the brand was bought by consumer goods giant, RKW.

In January, the city council declared a "heritage emergency" and called for £325m in funding to protect its most significant historical assets.

Across the city there are more than 275 listed buildings, 22 conservation areas, five scheduled monuments and five registered historic parks.

But the authority warned "financial realities" meant some heritage sites could be "lost entirely", as it launched a plan proposing how to preserve them, including more government support.

A council spokesperson said they had taken more than 100 actions in relation to historic buildings in the past year, and were also investing in buildings it owned, such as Burslem Market Hall, the Wedgwood Institute and the School of Art.

"But we can't tackle the heritage emergency alone," Gordon-McCusker added.

"Protecting our historic buildings will require owners of historic buildings to step up and play their part before more buildings reach the point of no return."

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