THE BANK

Urban Wilderness CIC are taking on one of Longton’s beautiful heritage buildings and transforming it into a Cultural Community Hub for Longton and the south of Stoke-on-Trent.

The Bank stands at the gateway to the Town Centre, in between the iconic railway bridge and our landmark Town Hall and Victorian Market. It is a figurehead building in the heart of the Conservation Area, with ornate brickwork and high windows of the historic banking hall representing the wealth generated by the town’s industrial past.

The Bank had been empty since 2021, had been vandalised and suffered extreme water damage, and was uninsured. As with other buildings in the Conservation Area, it is a target for break-ins, arson, and further vandalism.

Our ambition is to restore the historic banking hall to it’s original glory, exposing period high windows and ornate ceiling, and move our cultural programme to this space. We also aim to improve accessibilty through installing from-pavement access, a through-lift, and accessible toilets. We plan to create a community meeting room and artist studios. It will provide a new home in Longton for creativity and a base for our large-scale events and wider community outreach.

Our long-term ambition is to move the building into community ownership, stabilising a permanent home for culture at the heart of creative Longton.