Description:Reclamation schemes in the Potteries:-
“We were devastated with old pits, marl holes, holes dug around the City – whether it was marl extraction or what have you. And the result was that we were living in a wilderness. Dereliction everywhere, from a scenic point of view. So we undertook this task of brightening the City up. We approached the government of the day for grant and on the basis that the population of the Potteries were migrating, and we were losing the age range 15 to 44 – which was the working age for people. And they were disappearing into the surrounding districts, and we were keen to retain them.”
“The dereliction within the city of Stoke-on-Trent, which the City Council has had to deal with, can be classified into three categories; colliery waste tips, marl holes and disused railway lines. Taking the first category – colliery waste tips – one of the most interesting and successful of the City’s reclamation schemes has been the Central Forest Park.”
“Forest Park? It’ll be alright for the younger people.”
“It was an old pit mound and they’re making it into a lovely parkland, And the people are using it quite frequently now.”
“I think it has been a success because it is some attempt to get an area that hasn’t got buildings on it into some sort of fields. And it’s next to the town centre – people haven’t got far to go – and I think the City will feel a great benefit.”
This film also features in the documentary; “Stoke-on-Film, 1960s”, produced by Ray Johnson.