City council steps in to protect Stoke’s historic Falcon Works

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is stepping in to secure Falcon Works and protect its historic buildings after the owner failed to take action.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is stepping in to secure and protect the one of the city’s most important historic buildings after its owner failed to take action.

Work will begin at Falcon Works on Sturgess Street, Stoke, after concerns were identified about the condition of the site and the risks created by unauthorised access to the building

The council will carry out the work itself to protect the site and prevent further deterioration. Costs incurred will be recovered from the owner.

The action follows a long-running effort by the council to secure improvements at the site. The owner previously failed to comply with a Section 215 notice requiring repairs and maintenance works designed to help prevent further deterioration of the historic buildings.

The Falcon Works was established in 1858 and was later owned and expanded by the firm of W.H. Goss. The surviving buildings date to Goss’s occupation of the site and remain important parts of Stoke-on-Trent's industrial heritage. The site, which has been vacant for more than 35 years, includes two Grade II-listed bottle ovens and other historic pottery buildings. It has changed hands several times since pottery production ended in 1944.

The building has suffered significant deterioration over many years and was damaged further by a fire in 2022. The council's intervention is intended to stabilise and secure the site so that its condition can be fully assessed and plans developed for its long-term future.

Where parts of former pottery works are found to pose an immediate danger, some elements may need to be dismantled carefully in the interests of public safety and to protect the wider site. Structures that are at risk of collapse can cause extensive damage to other historic parts of the complex if left untreated.

Any works undertaken will carefully consider the impact on the wider structure, with the aim of preserving as much of the historic fabric as possible.

The action forms part of the council's wider Heritage Enforcement Programme, which has dealt with more than 100 heritage-related cases since activity was stepped up around 12 months ago as part of the city's declared heritage emergency.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, Cabinet Member for Growth, Regeneration and Transport, said:

"People across Stoke-on-Trent are tired of seeing important historic buildings deteriorate. I feel the same way.

"That's why we declared a heritage emergency. For too long, some of our most important buildings were allowed to decline, putting at risk the heritage that makes Stoke-on-Trent unique.

"Falcon Works is a clear example of why that action was needed. It’s been in poor condition for years and the owners have been given ample opportunity to carry out works to help protect the site, but that did not happen. As a result, the council is now stepping in.

"Our heritage is one of the things that makes this city unique. Once these buildings are lost, they are gone for good, which is why we’re determined to act before more damage is done.

"We've made it clear that neglecting historic buildings is not acceptable. Over the past year we have significantly increased our heritage enforcement activity and have dealt with more than 100 heritage-related cases.

"This work is about securing the future of Falcon Works, protecting as much of the historic site as possible and showing that where owners fail to act, we will use the powers available to us to intervene and hold them to account."

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