Latest news with #JaneAshworth
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent pottery museum to host ceramics makers' market
A ceramics market is returning to Stoke-on-Trent amid ongoing concern about the future of the event, at Gladstone Pottery Museum on Saturday, will be attended by contestants from The Great Pottery Throw Down and about 60 makers, the city council in the city's pottery industry called for more government support after Royal Stafford entered liquidation last month, with a second firm, Portmeirion, also confirming leader Jane Ashworth said the market would be a "fantastic event" for both aspiring potters and fans of the television pottery competition. She added the venue had hosted a number of similar events over the years, which were always popular."Our centenary year is in full swing right now so what better way to showcase our brilliant city than with an event that celebrates all things pottery," Ashworth added. Contestants Jonathan Jolly, Steve Brown and Natalie Simms from the latest series of The Great Pottery Throw Down are due to attend, alongside representatives from local firms Burslem Pottery and Scruffy Little Herbert. The ceramic makers' market will run from 11:00 GMT until 16:00. Entry is free of charge, with advance booking not will be stalls offering a range of clay artworks for sale, from traditional works to abstract will also be able to view a Great Pottery Throw Down exhibition which opened at the venue earlier this month as part of the city's 100th anniversary display features six bird baths the TV potters were challenged to create in episode seven of the show to reflect the area's industrial heritage, green spaces and waterways. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent City Council approves budget with 4.99% tax rise
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has approved its budget for the new financial year, including a 4.99% council tax rise and a £16.8m loan from the said the budget would help stabilise finances without requiring compulsory redundancies or major cuts to front-line includes £7.5m of savings, including £1.1m of cuts such as plans to dim some street lights, as well as increasing leisure centre prices, which were subject to a public consultation. Councillors voted in favour of approving the new budget at a full council meeting on Tuesday. The council tax rise is the biggest increase allowed without a referendum and will include the previous adult social care precept of 2%.Band A households will pay an extra £53.85 to the city council in the 2025-26 financial year, while Band D households will pay £80.75 more budget includes £16.8m of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS), which is an emergency loan from the government to help struggling councils. 'Payday loan council' Opposition Conservative councillors have accused Labour of mismanaging the local authority's finances and failing to make difficult decisions, saying that the city's taxpayers would be left having to pay back the EFS for years to group leader Dan Jellyman described the council as a "payday loan authority"."£16.8m this year, and including the bailout last year, that means £10,000 a day in interest payments, £10,000 a day that city taxpayers are paying," he said opposition councillors understood that key services had gone through a transformation and needed extra financial support, but Labour had assured them it would just be a "safety net"."But what's happened 12 months later? They've maxed it out," he said."And out of the £16.8m bailout, £2.8m will be for paying interest on the last bailout. If that's not a payday loan council, I don't know what is."Jane Ashworth, leader of the Labour-run council, blamed the current financial problems on austerity cuts by the previous Conservative government."The city council has been deprived of investment from the Conservative government from 2010 onwards, which amounted to reduction in spending power of about £95m a year," she said."That is something like £280,000 a day and now you have the audacity to throw at us the suggestion that we're increasing debt." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plan to unlock Stoke-on-Trent prosperity delivered to No 10
A delegation from Stoke-on-Trent has visited Downing Street to deliver an ambitious plan to transform the city's economy and "unlock prosperity".The 19-page Future 100 prospectus was drawn up by the city council in consultation with business leaders, academics and sets out five "missions" to improve standards of living, opportunities and aspirations for citizens."It's not about going to ministers with a begging bowl but about showing we stand ready to do our bit for the country and deliver change," said Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell. According to Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Jane Ashworth, deep-rooted problems holding back growth in the city stemmed back to austerity and lack of investment in infrastructure. Targets in the prospectus include reducing the number of children living in poverty, creating 5,000 jobs and building 5,000 homes, all by 2030, with the support of targeted government said she was confident the delegation and prospectus could convince the government "we are capable, ready, willing and able to make a real difference"."Investment is Stoke-on-Trent is good not only for the city but for the country," she involved in the city vision include Staffordshire police, the UHNM trust, academy trusts and local charities, but private employers are not on the list. 'Not a left-behind city' The document includes targets to tackle problems linked to deprivation, aligned with national government five missions encompass:Securing economic growth through investment in road infrastructure and creative sectors including the struggling ceramics industry. Delivering clean energy by getting more people travelling on buses, increasing the number of passenger journeys by a of brownfield sites to meet the area's housing targets. There is also a plan to gain UNESCO creative city status to reclaim heritage barriers to opportunity through investment, making qualifications more accessible and improving educational attainment for children and the health and wellbeing of the population and increasing average life expectancy of citizens by two years. Delegate Vicky Gwynne works for the city council helping different groups connect, following the fallout from the August 2024 met two prime ministers in her previous role at charity Middleport Matters, and believes it is important to tell powerful people about Stoke. "I think we should be telling them about our strengths and opportunities, and that we're not a left-behind city, we want the opportunity to move forward," she said.
