What to do about three key empty listed-buildings in Burslem? The Indoor Market, the Queens Theatre, and the Wedgwood Institute. There’s now a consultant’s Burslem Feasibility Final Report on the options.

* Indoor Market – “leisure based multi-functional”. £5+ million.

* Queens Theatre – “theatre”. £12 million.

* Wedgwood Institute – “educational, training and skills, office space”. £9+ million.

None of this will surprise anyone, though note that at the back of the report is a proposal for apartments in Princes Hall, the part of the Queens Theatre with rooms…

“The Princes Hall area offers a very different proposal, featuring one and two bed apartments which feature a living area, bathroom and bedroom. A key reason why the Princes Hall can effectively be used for such a purpose is due to its existing corridors which lead off into rooms; the plan depth of the spaces also allows these spaces to be easily converted into areas sufficient for residential use.”

Also a couple of interesting images of the Indoor Market Hall. Some of the existing fabric, and how it might look if repaired…

On transport, the consultant appears to overlook cycling on the canal towpath (access to the city’s biggest employer Bet365, the Etruria Valley mega-sheds, and the mainline train station), and the local train station at Longport. Though admittedly neither offer pleasant access up the hill to the centre of Burslem, unless you know the back-ways which avoid the main road.