St Modwen’s and Stoke-on-Trent council’s 400-acre Trentham Lakes has become a “dumping ground” for “monstrosities”, according to a local MP.
Speaking in parliament last week, Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Paul Farrelly blamed regeneration agency Advantage West Midlands for subsidising “what many people consider to be a blight” when it prepares sites like Trentham Lakes for distribution sheds.
The former “super-colliery” was reclaimed in the mid-1990s using public money, and was launched as a mixed-use scheme.
St Modwen has so far developed three sheds of 152,000-320,000 sq ft each, alongside a hotel, restaurant and fitness club.
A 400,000 sq ft unit for Glen Dimplex and a 90,000 sq ft manufacturing facility are both under construction.
Farrelly called for stricter planning controls and schemes that would generate more highly skilled jobs than logistics.
References: EGi News 18/11/05
