It seems that, ever since planning permission was refused to build a Marks & Spencer store on the site of the former Meat Market (currently occupied by the visual abomination that is part of Ceramica), in, we believe, the late 1960s, Burslem and her people have been willfully neglected by the City Council.

Even the latest development and regeneration has completely ignored the fact that the people want to do their everyday shopping in Burslem. Every piece of derelict land seems to be given planning permission for housing. Where are the occupants of these new houses going to shop? The Council is saying that people have to go to Hanley or Tunstall. Why?

The Indoor Market has been closed for months. Why can the people of Burslem not have their Indoor Market back in its original building? Because, say the Council, there's one in Tunstall and one in Hanley. But the point that they have missed is that there is not one in Burslem. They want to use the building as a "world-class Ceramic Auction House". What good is that going to do the people of Burslem? Shops have been converted into live/work units for artists. Fine, but there are a lot of them, perhaps too many. But what about food shops? What about a quality supermarket? The locals are driven onto the roads to do their shopping. Public transport is useless, so it is back to the car. Go to Tunstall on Scotia Road - frequent traffic jams! Go along Waterloo Road - frequent traffic jams! Go down Newcastle Street towards Trubshaw Cross and the D-Road - total nightmare at certain times of the day! Moorland Road and Hamil Road are often jammed. Let us walk! Give us shops that we can walk to!

The continuing housing development has put an intolerable strain on Burslem's road infrastructure. Traffic jams are the norm at certain times of day. The public transport infrastructure is badly flawed (they're even removing the bus shelters at the moment!). Until these problems are sorted out, Burslem cannot take the strain of any more housing. Most of the housing that has been built in and around Burslem is way beyong the means of the average Boslemite. The Council seems to have done very little to ensure that local people can remain in their neighbourhood. Is the plan for Burslem to become a dormitory town for professionals working in Manchester and Birmingham? It seems that this is what the planning professionals want. It is definitely against the wishes of more than a few local people. there have been numerous planning meetings, but nothing of what has been said by the locals seems to have been taken on board.

The latest fiascos to affect Burslem are classic examples of Council incomptence. The town library, housed in the Wedgwood Memorial Institute, a magnificent structure built with funds raised by public subscription to make arts, science and literature available to all, has been closed "indefinitely". Structural problems with the building have been ignored for so long that the building has become unsafe. This is exactly the same willful neglect that afflicted the Indoor Market.

The new Ceramica building, an eyesore so totally unsuited to the architectural integrity of the centre of Burslem, was supposed to play host to a new radio station, Focal Radio. Their logo (left) even mirrors the spire on Ceramica. But, according to The Sentinel "A long-awaited new radio station for Burslem is to begin broadcasting within weeks – from Trent Vale". Why? Because the Council have been exceptionally slow to formalise a lease on an unused building: "The particular issue of building alterations to facilitate the radio station are presently still being negotiated". The building has been empty for months, and they are quibbling about building alterations!

One particular saying seems to fit Council officers perfectly when it comes to the subject of Burslem:


Enough is enough - think before you build! Get some people into place who have some idea about finding out what people want for their home town, and act upon their wishes!