Taken with a Pinch of Salt ; Etruria, Stoke-On-Trent, St1 5ss 01782 602525 Www.Thisisstaffordshire.Co.Uk

Summary

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WE take the plan to build 800 homes in the centre of our city seriously. So much so that we have devoted almost 2,000 words to the story today. On paper the idea to create a 'culture of city living' in an 'exciting and vibrant' part of the city sounds fantastic. Do we want this to happen, of course we do. Do we want a modern 21st century city to be proud of, the answer is yes. Do we want executive homes, rooftop gardens, great new shops and restaurants, then count us in.

We think that this plan is so fantastic that we want the first sod to be cut tomorrow. But here is the rub. In the 2,000 words there are two key points missing. This is not due to us not asking. This is because, well, there are no answers at the moment. The issues are; who is going to fund this and when will work start? We are told that it will take 16 years. Fine. But how do we know this is accurate if there's no indication of how the project will be funded? While some of the money might come from Government, the chances get slimmer by the day, we are going to have to rely on private finance.

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Taken with a Pinch of Salt ; Etruria, Stoke-On-Trent, St1 5ss 01782 602525 Www.Thisisstaffordshire.Co.Uk

Are there companies willing to stake so much on our city n...

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