Stoke on Trent areas to live and avoid

[NiftyTurtle]

We are thinking of moving to Stoke and surrounding areas and we’re wondering what areas are better to be in for a family of 4 (kids are 2 and 3).

im looking for safety then schools, we know the area a little as we are only 40 mins away.

TIA

Newcastle Under Lyme - The Westlands, Seabridge and Westbury Park are nice areas. Penkhull in SOT.

have a nose on youtube, a few guys have covered that area with comments and footage....a lot looks very grim.

A lot of places have nice and grim areas, we will of course go a few times first to scout and get a feel so hopefully it’ll work out 🤞

Newcastle can be smelly because of ongoing issues with Walley's landfill site. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-67529964

Trentham would traditionally be seen as the “naicer” of the 6 towns if you want to live in the city itself. I would choose very carefully and speak to locals - Stoke has some really challenging issues not least the council verging on bankruptcy.

Newcastle under lyme, particularly Westland's, Thistleberry, seabridge, parts of Clayton are nice. Close enough to hospital and train stations, road links are good. Further out in newcastle towards market drayton theres some great areas too. Trentham is nice in parts. A little further out Barleston and Wedgewood estates are nice. The other way going towards leek/moorlands has some lively little villages as well. Id avoid anything closer to Hanley or stoke itself, and look at the surrounding areas.

Stoke has a bad rep, but its judged off stoke/hanley mostly where there are alot of social problems, alot of poverty, drug use, crime etc. I live on the outskirts and wouldnt move anywhere else now, and i have lived in quite a few uk towns and cities.

A bit further south but easy reach of Stoke would be Stone - has a middle school system if that’s a factor.

Thanks everyone 🫶

You could also look at Endon, Stockton Brook Brown Edge and Baddeley Green, which are further North of the city. Very close to Leek and beautiful countryside on your doorstep being close to the Peak District.

The schools in Endon are very good with a decent small High School. Both my children went to schools here.

I live in Baddeley Green and it's a really safe place to live and bring up children, housing is cheap.

Newcastle under Lyme/ Trentham isn't part of the 6 towns in Stoke.

In fact Newcastle is actually classed at Staffordshire.

The 6 towns of Stoke are:
Hanley
Burslem
Fenton
Longton
Tunstall
Stoke

Proud born and bred Stokie.

Tbf Cheshire East with its golden triangle is also struggling for money and in financial difficulty!

If you are Catholic then moving close to St Joseph's which is the most desired school would be a good idea. It's a grammar but you only have to pass the entrance exam, places are then allocated on the basis of baptism, church attendance, feeder primary and distance.

Alsager is just over the Cheshire border but has a very good school.

Avoid anywhere in the catchment of Birches Head or St Peter's Academy. Wolstanton is a niceish area but the school is not good. Others have mentioned Trentham, they had a dodgy few years but it's on the up again.

Endon/Stockton Brook is a lovely area. My neice did really well at Endon High but then the head changed and her younger brother had problems there.

It may not be one of the 6 towns, and they may wish it wasn’t the case, but the residents of Trentham definitely pay their council tax to SOTCC 😉

For years Trentham liked to think it was in Newcastle but it never has been !!!!!!

Sorry @BG2015 I reread my previous post and you’re dead right, I was mistaken calling it one of the 6 towns! I should have known better than to get that wrong!

True enough, and Stoke does really suffer from a lack of council tax income from larger properties. But it really is on its arse financially - there may be some money coming down the line from central govt but unlikely to be enough of it to go around

There was once talk of merging SOT, NUL and staffs moorlands into one authority. It got canned but wonder if the financial crisis will ever bring the idea up again.

Just coming here to suggest Alsager/n-u-l. Lived nearby for 4 years when at university. Worked in Newcastle, Stoke, Crewe and Hanley. Nearly bought a house in Silverdale but not great transport links.

Sorry to nitpick but Alsager is actually geographically in Staffordshire - although it comes under Cheshire East for council purposes 😁

@tabbymctwat Alsager is and always has been in Cheshire.

Its postal address is Stoke on Trent.

You’re absolutely right, I stand corrected! I know a lots of Alsagerians who are utterly convinced it’s Staffs, but I’ve just actually properly looked at a map 🤣🤣

Borderline South Stoke towards Stone: Meir Heath, Moddershall, Hilderstone, Fulford. What is your property budget and what kind of area do you want to live in?

I've lived in both and would stay clear of the six towns, penkhull is nice they have wassail and community plays etc - good sense of community not as much crime, bargain house prices. Newcastle is nice but the town centre has gone really down over the last few years with lots of closures. Also you really can smell the top EVERYWHERE! keele village is nice if you can afford it. Nice areas on outskirts like Endon and stockton Brook tho theres not much going on there. Leek is great, lots going on lots of arty community stuff, nice places to eat, good schools reasonable house prices compared to the south. Right on the roaches and peak. 25 mins drive into etruria as the road is a slow 30 mph one. Good luck 👍

Cheadle worth a look too